Survivor's Guilt
by bigk4062
Summary: Being the cause of your parent's deaths can be traumatizing enough. Watching your brother suffer at the hands of your stepfather is even worse, but being tormented by your families various enemies can break even the strongest souls. A post-series look at Mokuba trying to heal after everything he went through as an easy target. Contains child abuse and yaoi, please be advised.
1. Prequel- Duelist Kingdom

A/N: While re-watching the series to get ideas for Aftermath, I realized all the horrible things that happened to everyone on this show. How none of them ended up in a mental hospital is beyond me. This was inspired by a story I read about the gang going into a haunted house and Mokuba having a panic attack. If anyone happens to know the fic I am talking about please let me know so I can give proper credit. This chapter is pretty short, but I've been sitting on it for a week without needed to add to it so enjoy.

 _Giant hands reached for him, covered in gloves meant to protect the wearer from injury. They wrapped around his throat and squeezed it tight, forcing the air out of his lungs and stopping him from screaming. His vision blurred, a throbbing starting in his head as he began to feel faint. Mercifully, the hand disappeared, and Mokuba fell to his knees as he attempted to catch his breath. A flash of silver appeared in his line of vision, Pegasus's face hovering over him._

 _"_ _Now then Mokuba, are you going to behave? Or should I have Croquet try to strangle you again?" Mokuba shook his quickly head, still trying to catch his breath._

 _"_ _Good. Now, I tried to be friendly with you, but you have pushed my patience to its very end. Croquet, throw him in the dungeon until Kaiba-boy shows up."_  
 _Mokuba felt an arm grab him, yanking him off the floor with ease. Mokuba closed his eyes, pleading to whoever may be listening._

 _"_ _Yugi, Joey, someone, please help me. I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I'm sorry for stealing your star chips, for threatening you, and for helping my brother kidnap your grandfather. Please, find me, help me, I beg you." Mokuba felt tears sliding down his cheeks, his mind begging someone to come and save him over and over again. He had tuned out Pegasus and Croquet discussing his fate, until Pegasus's voice finally cut through his thoughts._

 _"_ _Oh, and Croquet? Have Kemo track him in case he gets loose again. I don't want anyone to get confused on who he belongs too."_

 _"_ _Yes Master Pegasus." Croquet bowed, still holding a dangling Mokuba. The young boy started kicking wildly, hoping to stop whatever the bodyguard was going to do to him. Croquet ignored him, marching through the castle in search of Kemo. He finally found the younger man in the library._

 _He plopped Mokuba down, and when the young boy made to run, he placed his hand on Mokuba's throat, not squeezing but using the memory of what had happened to keep the young boy in place. Grey eyes looked back and forth between the two men, wondering what was going to happen next. Kemo was staring into the fire, poking at the embers with his stick._

 _After a moment, he turned towards them, showing Mokuba the white hot poker with a picture of the Millennium Eye on it. Without hesitation, Croquet pulled down Mokuba's shorts and Kemo pressed the poker down on the boy's hip, ignoring the child as he screamed out his brother's name to come save him, then screeched in pain and passed out._

 _"_ _Too bad Kaiba wasn't here to protect him, so much for brotherly love huh?" Kemo comment, and Croquet just smiled._


	2. Nightmares and Terrors

Mokuba shot up in his bed, screaming his head off. Without a second thought, he tore out of his room, running towards his big brother's room. Opening up the door, he jumped on the bed, burying himself in the bundle of blankets. Blond hair got in his eyes, and he pulled away, looking at Joey with wide eyes.

"Where is Seto?" He asked, hiccupping as he tried to calm himself down. Joey's arms went around the smaller boy, pulling him close. Rocking back and forth with his boyfriend's brother, Joey kissed the top of the boy's head, hoping to calm him down. Mokuba continued to sob, clinging to Joey as he blubbered about his newest nightmare. Joey muttered in low tones, glancing over at the clock to check the time.

After what seemed like hours, Mokuba calmed down enough to let go of Joey, leaning back against the pillows, wiping his tears away. Joey squeezed his hand, heading into the bathroom for a glass of water and some melatonin.

Mokuba's therapist had recommended it, telling Kaiba that his brother was too young for most sleeping pills, and the melatonin would help with his nightmares when used correctly. It was before midnight, so he was in the clear for Mokuba to get a good night's sleep.

Walking back in the bedroom, he handed Mokuba the pill and a glass of water, letting him take them while he wrote down in Mokuba's journal the time and what had happened- another suggestion by the therapist, writing down what behavior had occurred, and what they had done during the day that may have triggered it.

The journals were turned in every week, and their weekly sessions were full of suggestions of how to approach these triggers better next time. Several suggestions seemed to help, and Mokuba's nightmares had slowed down a bit, going from several every night to one major one every couple of days.

Joey placed the journal down, figuring tomorrow he would talk to Mokuba to find out what had happened to trigger tonight's episode. Right now Mokuba needed help, and since Kaiba was once again stuck at work, it was up to Joey to support the boy.

Laying back down on the bed, he pulled Mokuba over, allowing him to snuggle up to the blond. Slowly, Mokuba's eyes closed, and he drifted off to sleep. Joey looked back at the clock, sending out a silent prayer to Kaiba that he come home soon before he drifted off with Mokuba.

XXXXXX

While all this was happening at home, Kaiba was sitting at his desk at work, staring vacantly at the computer screen. All of his emails had been answered and he could have been home hours ago, spending time with his brother and boyfriend.  
Instead, he had stayed, lying to both of them about a project that needed to be done so he wouldn't be bothered. The couch would serve as his bed for the night, and he would catch up with Joey tomorrow at school.

Right now, he just needed a break from dealing with Mokuba, especially after today's session with the therapist. The months of bouncing around to all the high end specialists he could find was taking its toll on both of the brothers.

Kaiba closed his laptop, leaning back in his chair as his phone beeped. It was his night time crew, informing him of Mokuba's nightmare, and that the younger boy was being cared for by Joey. Kaiba closed his eyes, knowing that tomorrow was going to turn into a very long fight over Mokuba's treatment.

Kaiba treated therapy like he treated magic and his past, rolling his eyes at most of it. However, Joey believed in the treatments, and more than made up for Kaiba's scoffing. Watching Joey help his brother caused Kaiba to rethink his opinions, and he began approaching his brothers treatment with the same cold efficiency as he did everything else

He wrote up time lines and deadlines for Mokuba getting better that needed to be met, and frowned when most of them went by with no noticeable changes.

His baby brother being broken was not acceptable, and Kaiba was willing to do just about anything to help him. He loved his brother to death, the raven-haired boy was his reason for getting up in the morning through all the abuse he had suffered, but he couldn't deal with the nightmares.

Every time Mokuba buried his face in Kaiba's arms, it reminded him how he had failed at protecting the younger boy, as his brother and his guardian. Gozaburo, Pegasus, Marik, Bakura, even Yami had used the young boy to take a piece of Kaiba.

Shaking his head, he tried to forget the memories of his not so distant past. He stood up, shedding his coat as he approached the couch. Grabbing a blanket, he settled down on his make-shift bed, closing his eyes and drifting quickly off to sleep.

XXXXXX

 _Mokuba's problems brought back so many memories of the pain and torture Kaiba had suffered at the hands of his step father, and he found himself unable to deal. Finally, Mokuba's school had stepped in, concerned about the younger boy's mood changes and violent outbursts. The first psychologist had been a waste of time, situated in the nicest part of town where prestige was more important than getting help._

 _After a few sessions, they had left to find Joey, walking down the streets towards Yugi's. Joey hadn't made a comment about where they had come out of, instead joking around with Mokuba who had ran to him laughing. Kaiba watched the two pal around, enjoying his brother smiling again._

 _Impulsively, he invited Joey over for dinner. He knew that Joey had recently moved into Yugi's house, leaving behind his abusive father. He also knew that Yugi's Grandfather could probably use a break from the blond, and he was happy to provide it so his brother could smile again._

 _Joey had accepted his offer warily, only agreeing when he saw the pleased looked that came over the raven-haired boys' face. Of course, his tune changed when they got to the mansion and he saw dinner, sitting down and eating a full meal then going back for seconds. The two boys played games while Kaiba worked, and Joey made a point to say good bye to him before he left._

K _aiba had tucked Mokuba into bed that night, pleased with the smile on the younger ones face, and had gruffly agreed to allow Joey and his friend's permission to come over to spend time with his brother, on the condition that Mokuba did not tell anyone about his problems._

 _The next few weeks had Joey coming over regularly, often with some game that had come into the shop, or with some member of his squad to play with Mokuba. Kaiba had hoped that surrounding Mokuba with the geek squad and their constant friendship speeches would have helped, but all it seemed to do was cause Mokuba to ask for them while he was screaming in terror._

 _At the end of his rope, Kaiba had left Roland in charge of Mokuba while he drove to the Game Shop, sitting down with his former enemies and pouring out his heart while he wrapped his hands around the offered cup of tea._

 _Solomon closed his eyes, the pain of knowing a child was hurting causing his heart to pound faster. Yami, freshly returned from Egypt with his own body, offered up what was left of his shadow magic to try to cleanse Mokuba's soul, while Yugi simply buried his face in his hands and cried. Joey's reaction had changed everything._

 _Getting up, he stood before Kaiba, placing his hands on the older boys shoulders as blue eyes met honey. Kaiba broke, tears leaking out his eyes as he tore his gaze away. Watching him cry was an agonizing experience, like waiting for water to start leaking from a hole in a dam._

 _The face didn't change, it was just Kaiba with water running down his cheeks. Then it broke, and he was Seto, a little boy who had lost his parents and was thrown into an orphanage by those who had promised to protect them. This little boy had protected his brother from bullies, his fists convincing others that Mokie was not one to be messed with. Now there were other bullies, born out of the darkness that had threatened to destroy the world, and fists would not save the younger boy._

 _Seto was helpless by himself, he had no other options except those in front of him, taking advantage of their kindness to help his brother. Finally, the tears slowed, and he locked eyes with Joey once more before slipping on his mask to become Kaiba again._

 _Joey placed his hand over Kaiba's, promising to help where he could. Yugi was next, practically jumping over himself to offer his help. Yami was next, pledging his support to his cousin. Solomon sat there, looking over the young man who years ago had torn his Blue Eyes card and almost killed him during a game. His hand came last, harden purple meeting blue, and Kaiba had to stop himself from crying again._

 _He instead bowed his head, thanking them all without words. After a few minutes he stood up, grabbing his bag and placing it on the table. He had been away from Mokuba for long enough, it was time to go back and give his bodyguard a rest. He nodded to the three boys, turning towards Solomon and bowing low in a sign of respect. Kaiba then left, leaving the four to sit and wonder over everything they had been told._

XXXXXX

Sleep makes time past too quickly, and soon it was 5:30, and alarms began buzzing all over town. Yugi's fell to the floor, and he crawled out from his lovers arms, kissing the former Pharaoh before heading towards the bathroom.

Kaiba fell off the couch, having reached for his blond lover before remembering where he was.

Said blond woke up to a sleeping Mokuba, slipping out of the child's tight embrace before padding over to the door to let Roland in. The bodyguard was the only one Mokuba would accept as a substitute for his brother and Joey, which had caused some friction with the other guards.

Right now though, Joey needed to get to school, and Mokuba needed another hour before he could be roused. Roland sat on a chair in the room, ready to help if Mokuba needed him. Joey quickly made it through his morning routine, knowing he would need to help get the younger one ready.

His phone buzzed, and he saw several texts from Kaiba wanting to know how things were going They went ignored, Joey not wanting to get into a fight with his boyfriend so early in the morning. Instead he focused on Mokuba, getting him up and out the door to school, making it to his own home room only seconds before the bell rang, sliding into his seat as the teacher turned to make roll call, refusing to meet the gaze of everyone as he closed his tired eyes and rested.


	3. Painful Memories

A/N: I just want to warn everyone that this chapter does contain a rather uncomfortable scene between Pegasus and Mokuba... If you are uncomfortable with child abuse please be warned. I did put the scene in italics, so just skip it if you'd like

Kaiba strolled into school, swiftly moving down the halls to enter the class room. Joey hadn't answered any of his texts, and the CEO was becoming very agitated. He should have gone home last night, but it was too late to change things now. He sat down, opening his lap top to scroll through a few emails before class started. Yugi was the first one of the gang to enter the room, nodding at the brunet as he took a seat. Yami was right next to him, casually holding Yugi's hand while he talked to one of their other classmates.

The rest of the class started to filter in, not wanting to be late and risk the wrath of their homeroom teacher. Kaiba continued to type, but he was starting to get concerned on where Joey was. Suddenly, the blond was there, collapsing into a chair as the bell began to ring. He refused to meet anybody's eyes, instead hunkering down in his chair as the homeroom teacher took attendance.

Kaiba spent the whole period trying in vain to catch his eye, but Joey was nothing if not skilled in avoidance. The rest of the morning was more of the same, and by the end of second period everyone knew there was something going on between the two former enemies.

Scraps of paper were beginning to float up and down the aisles, everyone betting on when and where the fight was going to happen. It had been a long time since the two boys had butted heads, and the peace between the two had caused school to become long and drawn out. Finally, the lunch bell rang, and the classroom emptied, leaving only the gang and Kaiba inside. Yugi exchanged looks with Yami, before getting up and approaching Joey.

"Come on Joey, let's go to lunch. I'll even buy you an ice cream cone afterwards!" He suggested, smiling brightly at his best friend. Joey nodded, gathering his books and leaving the room silently, trailing behind the rest of his friends without a backwards glance at Kaiba.

After eating, they all sat outside, enjoying the sun shine after a week of rain. Tristan leaned against oak tree in the school yard, Duke snuggled up next to him. Ryou was sitting next to Tea, attempting to flirt with the girl with little success. Yami and Joey were dueling against Bakura and Yugi, trying to distract the white haired spirit while his lighter half ignored him.

Kaiba sat on a bench, typing away furiously while he debated what to do. Finally, he put away the lap top, stood up and dusted himself off. Checking to make sure his coat was properly flaring, he approached his boyfriend, looking over the cards in the blonds' hand.

"You really need to let me help you update your deck pup. You've been using the same cards since Duelist Kingdom and it's too easy to come up with a strategy for them." He commented, hoping to get a rise out of his boyfriend. Joey ignored him, instead playing Time Wizard to age up his baby dragon, taking down Yugi's Big Shield Gardna by aging it, causing the shield to rot away and the monster to be exposed. He then raised an eyebrow at Kaiba as if to make some sort of point. Kaiba frowned, knowing that he wouldn't be able to talk to Joey if the rest of the gang was near-by.

"Can you guys finish this duel later? I need to talk to you about Mokuba." The other three were about to agree when Joey shushed them all with a look.

"We could have talked about Mokuba last night at your house, but you decided not to be there." Joey responded, then looked over at Bakura. "It's your move."

"That's not fair Joey, you know what my work schedule is like! That's why I asked you to stay over a few nights a week, so Mokuba wouldn't have to be alone when I have to work late. We've discussed this before!"  
Kaiba snapped, irritated that Joey was acting like this.

"I understand your work schedule Kaiba. What I don't understand is why work always seems to pop up after Mokuba has a session with his therapist. You know how rough those nights are, and yet the last few weeks every time you end up back at the office while I have to deal with your brother." Joey commented calmly, wincing as Bakura sent his Thousand Dragon to the graveyard.

Kaiba grabbed Joey by his green jacket, intending to shake the blond until he took back what he just said. "My brother is not something that gets dealt with mutt. He's having a really rough time of it and he just needs to snap out of it! Stop talking about him like he's broken, he's just a kid!"

Yami got up then, placing a hand on Kaiba's arm to try to push him off Joey. "Kaiba, please, this is not helping the situation at all. You know we all care very much about your brother, and we all want to help him."

"Stay out of this Pharaoh, it's your fault that he's like this at all! If you hadn't done your stupid mind tricks on me, I never would have left Mokuba alone, and Pegasus would have never had the chance to touch him."Kaiba shoved Yami away, dropping Joey to the ground in the process.

"That's uncalled for Kaiba! Yami was just trying to help you get back in touch with your old self! Besides, you started all of this by kidnapping my grandfather and causing him to almost have a heart attack. If anyone is to blame it's you and your selfish attitude!" Yugi shouted, fueled by the devastated look on his best friends face. Without thinking Kaiba lashed out, swinging at the shorter duelist in an attempt to take him out. Joey stopped him, throwing his face in the way of Kaiba's fist to keep Yugi from getting hurt. The two boys looked at each other, months of stress and worry showing on their faces.

Yami wrapped his arms around Kaiba, trying to calm the brunet down but it wasn't working. Joey jumped him, knocking Kaiba to the ground before punching him in the face, which Kaiba gladly retaliated. They started to roll around, swinging back and forth at each other, not letting anyone get close enough to separate them. Tristan jumped in, dodging Joey's upper cut to help pin down Kaiba.

"Kaiba! Mokuba's school is calling you!" He told the struggling CEO, watching as Kaiba's face paled, the color disappearing so fast that Tristan thought he was going to past out. He immediately stood up, offering a hand to help Kaiba up off the floor. As soon as the young CEO was up, he took off, Joey right on his tail as they both ran to the car.  
Kaiba unlocked the doors, opening the driver's side while Joey slid across the hood to jump in the passenger's seat. The car took off, not caring about speed limits or other drivers in its mad dash to get to Mokuba.

XXXXXX

 _Mokuba woke up in a cold sweat, shackled to the wall in a cold, damp part of the dungeon. He couldn't move, his arms and legs so numb that he felt like he was floating. The only part of his body he could feel was his throbbing hip._  
 _Mokuba shook his head, remembering what had just been done to him. It wasn't a tattoo, it was a brand. Like Mokuba was a cow or a horse and the owner wanted to make him so no one could claim his body._

 _"_ _Hello Mokuba. I take it you are enjoying your new room?" Pegasus appeared then, smiling at the small boy, his golden eyeball gleaming._

 _"_ _It really is a shame, if you would have been better I was going to let you out of that tower so we could play a little game together." Pegasus held up a box, which had a picture of his favorite cartoon character on it._

 _"_ _Funny Bunny memory! I just love this game, and Croquet never wants to play it with me. I thought you'd enjoy it, but I guess not. I can't go around rewarding you for your bad behavior now can I?" Pegasus laughed, enjoying to no end the way Mokuba squirmed around, looking for somewhere that he could escape. "Oh young Kaiba, watching you grow up from that scared little baby to a scared little boy has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life."_

 _Pegasus clapped his hands, and two bodyguards appeared, one carrying a rocking chair, the other a bowl and a glass of wine. Pegasus lowered himself gracefully into the chair, accepting the bowl and wine with a smile and a wink at his guards._  
 _They both left, and Pegasus relaxing, sipping on his wine while he picked at what turned out to be popcorn. Footsteps were heard down the hall, aggressive sounds bouncing off the walls causing Mokuba's eyes to grow bigger._

 _He stared at Pegasus, watching as the man continued to pick food out of his bowl, not worried about what was approaching. Finally, the steps stopped, and Mokuba looked up to see a man, wearing a white ski mask staring at him. He was carrying a folding chair and some keys, which he used to open up Mokuba's cell door. He gathered the raven-haired boy up and placed him in front of Pegasus._

 _Once he was done, Pegasus settled back into his chair, crossing his legs and pressing his fingers together, staring at his raven-haired capture intently. "I'm sorry to have to do this Mokuba, but really, you leave me no choice. Perhaps this will teach you to behave better from now on. The man who had pulled Mokuba out of the cell now put him over his lap, not even giving him a chance to adjust when he started to methodically whip Mokuba on the legs with his belt. The first few times he was hit Mokuba called out his brother's name, causing Pegasus to giggle._

 _The crazy billionaire still munching on popcorn, counting out the number of times Mokuba was hit. Finally he hit 12 and the hitting stopped, leaving Mokuba sobbing on the strangers lap. On Pegasus's nod, his pants were pulled down and his wounds attended too, then he was unshackled and placed on Pegasus's lap._

 _Pegasus began to run his hands up and down the boy's body, whispering soothing things to him much like a father comforting his son. When Mokuba calmed down a little, he pushed against Pegasus, crying out for his brother again. He was immediately grabbed and whipped again, Pegasus calling out the hits until they reached 12 again. Mokuba was still crying, trying to hide his tears from the two men. Once that was done, he was quickly cleaned up again before Pegasus waved his hand, obviously bored with his entertainment._  
 _After Mokuba was safely put back in his cage, Pegasus stood there smiling down on him. "Don't worry young Mokuba, one day you'll forget about that brother of yours and you and I will have a wonderful relationship."_  
 _He turned to the man who had been attending to Mokuba. "Let's go get you cleaned up. It wouldn't do to have blood stains when our guests begin to arrive." With that he laughed, saluting Mokuba who was curled up in as tight of a ball that he could manage with the bandages._

XXXXXX

Kaiba burst into the school, white coat flaring behind him as he marched into the office, Joey right behind him. The principal wasn't even able to get off his chair before Kaiba lunged at him, demanding to see his brother at that moment. "Mr. Kaiba, please sit down we need to talk."

The man stated firmly, pointing at a chair in the room. Kaiba refused, pacing in the small room about ready to rip the man's throat out. Joey stood in the doorway, not sure what to do. He jammed his hands in his pockets, trying to keep out of the way. The principal eyed him, silently assessing the relationship between the two boys. He pointed at a second chair and Joey slid into it, tensing in case he needed to grab Kaiba.

Finally the CEO sat also, realizing that threatening the man wasn't going to be enough to get his little brother. The principal leaned back, reaching for a thick file. He plopped it down on the table, opening it up and showing Kaiba that it was from Mokuba's discipline file.

"I'm not going to pretend to understand all you and your brother have been through Mr. Kaiba. Orphaned at a young age, thrown into the system, adopted by a mad man... it's a wonder either of you is even half-way normal. I've tried to stay out of things, not because you can fire me with one word, but because I honestly believed that keeping the two of you together would help heal whatever wounds you both had. However, today's events have pushed things out of my control." The principal stopped, looking back down at the folder before continuing.

"Mokuba's English class is studying the classics, and they have begun reading Charles Dickons 'A Christmas Carole.' When the teacher had them reading out loud, your brother became agitated and began screaming and throwing things. He ran out of the room, hiding downstairs in the basement until we were able to locate your security to pull him out. He's in the nurse's office, and I've been forced to call the CPS office. They are going to interview both of you and decide where to place him for the night."  
Kaiba stood back up, ready to snarl at the man in front of him. Joey grabbed his arm, pulling his boyfriend forcefully down into his chair.

"If there is one thing I know its CPS doesn't get called unless there is a reason to suspect abuse. So why don't you tell us what the reasoning is so we can explain it?" Joey asked, hoping that whatever the misunderstanding was could be cleaned up. The principal stood up, walking around his desk and placing a hand on Kaiba's shoulder. He squatted down, looking the CEO straight in the eye.

"Somebody has abused your brother Mr. Kaiba. He has scars on his legs from at least one beating, emotional issues from systematic abuse, and burns on his body. He needs help, more than just a therapy session once a week from an expensive therapist. CPS will help get you into contact with survivors groups, and they will help your brother." Joey started crying, fat tears sliding down his cheeks, thinking of all the people who had had a chance to hurt Mokuba over the years, and not liking that his boyfriend was in denial of the whole thing. A knock interrupted them, and the principal turned to greet the woman who entered the room.

She offered her hand to both the boys, Joey accepting it while Kaiba stared at her with a murderous look. She leaned against the desk, pulling out a file of her own. "I've already been in to speak with your brother. He wants to see both of you, which will happen but first I need to explain to you what is going to happen right now. First off, Mokuba will not be able to go home with you tonight. Per Japan's law, we have to launch an investigation into how he is being abused, and by whom. Our biggest priority is making sure that Mokuba is safe for the night, and we have taken your situation under advisement. I've ran your close acquaintances from your emergency contact lists, and I believe I've come up with a solution." She pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Kaiba.

"Solomon Moto? You're going to give my brother to that old man?" Kaiba shouted, throwing the paper down in disgust.

"Mr. Moto has been a member of this community his whole life. He is well known, and most importantly, he has taken the mandated child abuse wellness courses when he applied for custody of his grandson. I've already been in contact with him, and he has agreed to take in Mokuba, along with a bodyguard of Mokuba's choosing." Kaiba opened his mouth again, only to have Joey clamp a hand over it.

"Mr. Kaiba, you must understand how many hoops have been jumped through for you and your brother. Tomorrow, we will come to your house while you are at school and check it. If everything is in order, we will release your brother back into your custody, and come up with a better treatment plan for him. In the meantime, I'll take you to him so you can say your goodbyes. You are to go home and back him a bag, and your body guard will bring it to him at the Moto's home." She handed Joey a business card, recognizing the dead look in the CEO's eyes.

"I wrote a codename on the back of this card. It is the name that will go on all of your files in order to protect both of you from the press. If you have any questions, just use these names. I'll leave you to go see your brother, and I will be talking to you tomorrow." She stood up straight, shaking hands with the principal before extended on towards the CEO who ignored her. Joey shook it, knowing that Kaiba was too numb to comprehend what has going on. The last time he had seen that look on Kaiba's face was when Pegasus had stolen Mokuba's soul, and Joey was not looking forward to the rest of their night.

The caseworker left, and Roland appeared, grabbing his boss by the arm to direct him around the school. Joey followed, looking around as they approached the nurse's office. There was Mokuba, sitting on the edge of the bed staring out the window, looking like he had been through hell and back. He jumped up when he saw his brother, hugging Seto as if his very life depended on his physical interaction with the older boy.

"I'm so sorry Seto! I don't know what happened, one minute I was sitting in class the next I was thinking of Pegasus and all the bad things he did to me! I keep seeing them over and over in my mind and I can't stop them... It hurts so bad Seto make it stop."  
Kaiba just stared at his brother, for the first time in his life not knowing what to do to help comfort him. Mokuba just cried, all of his pent up frustrations coming out in shallow gasps. Finally, Joey appeared, wrapping both of the brothers in a fierce hug. They stood there for a minute, preparing themselves for what was going to happen next.

A knock on the door, and Solomon Moto appeared, bowing his head respectfully towards Kaiba. He smiled at the younger Kaiba brother, who slid off the cot he had been sitting on and walked over to the older man. Grandpa hugged him, ruffling the raven hair with a sad smile. "Mokuba, Roland is going to meet us at the Shop with your things. We need to get back, I have to re-open for a shipment that's coming in." Mokuba nodded, not looking back at his brother as he walked out of the room. Solomon watched the young boy leave, turning back to Kaiba and Joey with a frown.

"Joseph, would you like a lift home? It's not worth you going back to school at this point." Joey shook his head, looking over at his boyfriend.

"I think I'll go over to the mansion tonight Gramps. Maybe spending some time with Yugi and Yami will help Mokuba get a good night's sleep. If he needs me, just have him call me." Joey answered, reaching down to hold Kaiba's hand. Grandpa nodded, knowing exactly what Joey was not saying. Nodding towards the two boys, he left the room, wrapping his arm around Mokuba's shoulder as he took the small boy to his car.

Kaiba and Joey sat in silence as they drove home, each one buried in his own thoughts. Joey was devastated that things went this far, knowing firsthand what could happen now that CPS was involved. Kaiba could lose Mokuba, the younger boy could be sent into the system. He could lose his company, a suspicion of child abuse would make anyone want to stop doing business. As they pulled into the driveway, Joey checked his phone, relieved that he hadn't received any panicked text messages.

"Hey, how about I make us some chicken parm for dinner, then we can sit down and talk?" Joey suggested as Kaiba put the car into park. Kaiba didn't answer, instead slamming the door shut and stalking into the mansion. Joey followed him in silence, Roland appearing by the door with a duffel bag.

"Mr. Kaiba, if there is nothing you require, I will be at the Moto's for the night." Kaiba didn't respond, and Roland looked to Joey with one eyebrow raised. Joey nodded, dismissing the man for the night as he focused on his boyfriend.

"Kaiba, we need to talk about this. I know you're scared about losing your brother but blocking everything out isn't going to change things!"

"What do you know about anything Wheeler! Everyone keeps telling me how Mokuba's sick, how he needs help, how he's been through so much, but all I see is his weakness. He needs to be stronger, to push back"

"How can you even say that Kaiba, he's your little brother!?"

"Obviously I protected him too much over the years, and now I might lose him because he can't even handle reading a story!"

"That's not true Kaiba! You know Mokuba has been through a lot, and he needs your support right now."

"There is nothing wrong with my brother. He just needs to learn to deal with things better!" Kaiba snarled, picking up his briefcase and hurling it across the room. Duel Monster cards went everywhere, and Joey bent down to pick them up, only to stop when Kaiba stomped up the stairs.

Joey sighed, looking over at a maid who had been hiding in the next room. She pointed at the stairs, silently telling him to follow Kaiba and she would take care of the mess. Joey entered the bedroom to see Kaiba staring at a picture of his brother, his expression completely blank.

He reached for Kaiba's hand, and the dam broke. Dry sobs racked the taller boy's body, and he fell to the floor, unable to catch his breath. Joey just held on, whispering soothing sounds as the heaving continued.  
Finally it stopped, and Kaiba leaned forward, putting his head between his knees while Joey wrapped his arms around him. The two boys sat there for what seemed like hours, neither one saying anything.

A quiet knock was heard, and Joey looked up to see the maid standing in the doorway holding a tray of food. Joey took it, and fed his boyfriend dinner. Kaiba didn't respond, staring off into space while Joey spooned soup into his mouth.

Once that was done, Joey helped up the brunet and stripped both of them down to their boxers, helping Kaiba to settle on the bed. He laid down next to the CEO, curling up on his side and holding him close.

Kaiba didn't say a word, just turned his head away and stared at the wall, the part of him that Yami had banished all those years ago beginning to rear its ugly head again.


	4. The Next Day

Quiet mumbling met Joey's ears, causing him to open his eyes and look over at his boyfriend. Kaiba was obviously in the middle of a nightmare, moaning and rolling over in the bed. Joey touched his shoulder, a grounding technique he had learned from Mokuba's therapist. The idea was a gentle touch that reminded Kaiba he wasn't alone, and would hopefully allow his mind the chance to escape whatever dark hole it had found itself in.

Usually it worked, Kaiba jerking out of sleep to roll over and wrap himself around the blond before falling into a more peaceful sleep. This time, Kaiba shrugged off his hand, reaching behind him to swat at the blond violently.

Joey backed off, getting off the bed to give the brunet as much room as possible. He sat down on the floor, back against the wall to give him support. He glanced at his phone and saw that it was barely 2 in the morning. His phone kept blinking, and he realized what had woken him up in the first place. Several text messages from Mokuba, time stamped only a few minutes prior, anxious and worried because he too had had a nightmare.

Joey glanced one more time at the form on the bed before slipping out of the room to call the younger boy. He didn't notice the blue eyes that had opened and were now watching him leave, cold and hard as they stared at the blond's back. Joey stepped into the hallway, tapping the call button on his phone. Mokuba's quiet voice answered, still shaking with unshed tears.

"Hey Mokuba, what's going on? Are you alright?"

"Sorry Joey, I didn't know what else to do, it's so strange here, and I really miss you and big brother. Do you think they'll let me come home tomorrow?"

Joey sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't know Mokuba. The school has to be careful. If they don't report when they suspect something, they can get in a lot of trouble. Unfortunately, we have to suffer right now but it's going to get better."

Mokuba sniffed, looking out the window to the empty streets. "I just miss you and Seto. I want to come home."

"I know Mokuba, but Yugi, Yami, and Grandpa care about you too. They want you to be safe and happy, and Grandpa will do his best to keep you with them until this whole thing is settled."

"I know Joey, but I don't want to be here anymore. I want to sleep in my own bed with my own things around me. I need you guys here to help keep the nightmares away." Mokuba started to cry again, leaving Joey to sit and listen while he tried to soothe himself. Another voice started talking, and before Joey could ask, Yami was on the phone.

"Hey Yami."

"Hello Joey, sorry he woke you up I've been trying to check on him every so often." Mokuba muttered something unintelligent, to which Yami quietly shushed him.

"Get some sleep Joey, I'll stay here with Mokuba and we will talk about everything later." Joey nodded, even though he knew no one could see him.

"Let me talk to Mokuba one more time please." Yami handed the phone back to the younger Kaiba, who had calmed down enough that he could talk.

"Hey Mokuba, Yami's going to spend the rest of the night with you. Lay down and try to get some sleep ok? If you need anything I'll keep my phone on me so don't hesitate to call."

"Ok Joey." Mokuba whispered before saying his good-bye and ending his call. Yami watched the younger boy carefully, knowing that he was still very upset.

"Would you like to talk about something Mokuba? I know here I'm just Yugi's other half, but I was the Pharaoh. People came to me all the time with their problems, and I had to help them fix what was wrong. Maybe I could help."

Mokuba ignored him, laying back down and rolling so his back was to Yami, who sighed and left the room, returning with a blanket and pillow that he laid on the floor next to the bed. He leaned over Mokuba, whispering that he was right there if the younger boy wanted to talk before bunkering down on the floor for what was certainly going to be a long night.

Joey listened as the call ended, lowering the phone slowly before tapping it against his lips.

"That's a good way to get sick Wheeler." Joey jumped, looking up at his boyfriend who was standing in the hallway with his hands on his hips.

"How long have you been standing there Kaiba, you scared the shit out of me." Joey said, placing his hand on his chest to feel his racing heart.

"Almost your entire conversation idiot. For a former gang member, you aren't that bright. You also aren't that observant maybe you need to tune your skills a little bit." Kaiba turned on his heel and walked back into the room, followed closely by an irritated blond.

"What is your problem Kaiba? Your brother called because he was having bad dreams and I didn't want to wake you. I didn't think I had to be on high alert in your fancy mansion."

Kaiba growled at him, approaching the blond as Joey took a step back. Kaiba continued walking towards him, and Joey stepped back into the hall, ready to bolt down the stairs if he needed too. The look in those blue eyes scared the blond, it was a look that he hadn't seen in a long time, back before Yami had appeared and Kaiba was nothing more than an egotistic CEO who bullied and threatened anyone who got near him.

Finally Kaiba stopped, blinking several times before focusing back on Joey. He reached for the blond, Joey allowing himself to be crushed into the taller man's chest. Kaiba led him back into the bedroom, pushing Joey roughly down on the bed before pulling off Joey's boxers, throwing them on the floor along with his own.

XXXXXX

Hours later Joey approached the school grounds, stopping several times to adjust his uniform. Kaiba wasn't exactly gentle when it came to sex, and while Joey enjoyed it most of the time, this was too much.

His sides ached from how hard Kaiba had squeezed them, sitting down was going to be a project, there were finger sized bruises on his arms, and he had several hickeys that luckily were low enough that the high collar on his uniform would hide them.  
The worst part was the black eye, which he had received when he tried to tell his boyfriend no, that he wasn't interested. Not that he was opposed to sex whenever, but the brunet had acted like a man possessed, grabbing and pushing with no thought to Joey's well-being.

Then afterwards, he had left the room, not coming back at all. Joey hadn't seen him at breakfast, and the maid had informed him that Kaiba had already left for the day. Knowing how her boss was, she offered the boy a ride to school, which he gratefully accepted, promising to help her out later on to make up for it.

With everything that was going on, Joey didn't want to not show up at school with the case worker watching all of them. Of course, showing up covered in bruises probably wasn't going to help either, but there was nothing he could do about that. Joey slid into his seat, noting that he was one of the first kids in his class.

Kaiba wasn't even there yet, and Joey pulled out his phone to see if he could locate the brunet. No answer, which meant he was probably at work, most likely in a meeting with a lawyer to get his little brother back. Joey sighed again, putting his phone away while he drummed nervously. His various bruises hurt, causing him to shift around painfully to find a better position to sit.

What made it even worse though was the nervous waiting for his friends to arrive, knowing he would have to answer all of their questions about his injuries. He took a deep breath, using a technique he had learned in the gang to help focus his mind on something other than his injuries.

Ryou was the first one in the door, looking over at Joey with a smile that froze on his face as he took in Joey's black eye. Bakura was right behind him, reaching down to finger the knife he always kept on him as he watched his other's face. Ryou walked over to his seat, placing down his backpack before approaching Joey, shooting Bakura a warning look.

"What happened Joey?" He asked, touching the blond's face carefully. Joey winced, trying to hide how much his face really hurt.

"He probably got that from wrestling with Kaiba yesterday during lunch, maybe he should learn how to duck better." Bakura snickered, laughing at the pained expression on Joey's face.

"Is that true Joey? Did Kaiba do that to you?" Ryou asked, noting how Joey squirmed.

"Yea, remember he got that cheap shot on me yesterday? Well, guess it was a really lucky punch huh." Joey smiled at his friend, trying to ignore the looks Bakura kept giving. Ryou nodded, accepting Joey's lie. He started talking to Joey about the previous night's school work, helping the blond with several questions that he had.

The rest of their friends filtered in, accepting Joey's explanation of his injuries with little question. Bakura continued to sit apart from the group, playing with the tip of his knife as he stared at the blond's face, just waiting for a chance to talk to him.

XXXXXX

Kaiba sat at his desk, his lawyer pacing the floor anxiously. He was one of the best Japan had to offer, but all he could see was the nightmare that having the younger Kaiba brother removed from his house under suspicion of abuse would bring the company. Kaiba continued to watch him, chin resting on his folded hand as he coldly weighed all his options.

"Right now Mr. Kaiba the best thing to do is to just cooperate with the investigation. You've already taken the proper steps to show them that you take your brother's condition seriously, and that's going to be our best argument." The lawyer placed his briefcase down on the floor, finally sitting so he was eye-to-eye with the CEO. Kaiba didn't move, allowing the older man the chance to fidget even more.

"Mr. Kaiba, I hope you understand how severe this situation truly is. I know how much you care for your little brother, and if something goes wrong the courts can take away your status as his guardian. It certainly does not help that you are the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company who has many enemies and has failed in the past to provide adequate protection for Mokuba. You need to be aware that no matter how hard we fight, this might not go the way you want it too."

Kaiba stared at the man, cold blue eyes never wavering during his speech. The lawyer sighed, knowing he wasn't getting through to the younger man.

"I'll head to the mansion right now so I'm there when the case worker arrives, you need to get to school so they don't hold that against you also." With that he grabbed his briefcase and walked out the door, leaving Kaiba to stare at the empty chair across from him. Kaiba closed his eyes briefly, trying to keep his growing head ache at bay before he too left the office, calling his driver to be ready to take him to school.

XXXXXX

The day passed slowly for everyone. Kaiba appeared right after homeroom, not even acknowledging the rest of the class. The teacher, having been informed of Mokuba's situation, didn't comment on the brunet's late arrival, instead re-directed the class to their math lesson.

Yugi stared at Joey, who was leaning as far away from Kaiba as he could without actually falling off the chair. Tristan noticed too, looking between the two lovers with a frown covering his face. Bakura continued to play with the knife in his pocket, feeling more and more confident that he could take care of whatever was going on.

The rest of the gang felt the tension, sharing worried glances as the teacher prattled on about the quadratic equation and its importance in the world. The lunch bell rang after what seemed like forever, and the class fled for the cafeteria, once again leaving the gang in the room alone.

Tristan tried to question his buddy on what was wrong, but Joey blew him off, watching as Kaiba disappeared out the door. "Come on man, I'm just hungry let's go eat!"

He stated, grabbing Yugi and Ryou arms and pulling them out the door with a goofy grin on his face. Tea rolled her eyes at the two, pulling Tristan along who had grabbed a hold of Duke. Yami and Bakura stayed back, looking at each other with raised eyebrows.

"You felt that too don't you Tomb Robber." Yami stated evenly, crossing his arms.

"Yea I do Pharaoh, it seems our dear Priest is being revisited by some of his old demons. Perhaps we should pay him a little visit?" Bakura suggested, pulling out his knife with a grin. Yami sighed before nodding, knowing that Bakura was right. Bakura's grin grew bigger when he realized Yami wasn't going to stop him, and he couldn't help but skip a little in glee.

Yami opened his mouth to admonish the thief, but Bakura was already gone, in search of the CEO who was about to be his next victim. All the years of robbing tombs paid off handsomely when Bakura was able to locate his target in a matter of minutes.  
Of course, the brunet had only gone into the closest bathroom to the cafeteria, but Bakura counted it as a win for his skills anyway. It also helped that all it took was him walking into the bathroom to clear it out, the student body clearly terrified of the strange white-haired boy.

Bakura waited until Yami entered the room before locking the door, perching on the sink while he waited for Kaiba to acknowledge his presence. The former Priest ignored him, texting on his phone trying to get in touch with his lawyer to see how the house visit had gone. Finally he gave up, turning to give the other two his patented glare.

"What do you want?"

"Well, nice to see you too Priest. I just wanted to have a little chat with you is all, see how your day was going." Kaiba grunted, rolling his eyes at Bakura who had started running his fingers over his knife.

"All I know Tomb Robber is that your little talk is costing me time sitting and going over paperwork for Kaiba Corp before lunch is over."

Bakura jumped off the sink, slamming Kaiba up against the wall so quick that the brunet didn't even had time to react.

"Here's what I know. That mutt of yours showed up to school today limping and in pain. From the way he's breathing I'd say he's got a bruised rib. From the way he keeps adjusting his clothing I'd say he's got bruises in a few other places. From the way he's sitting I'd say someone wasn't too gentle with their love making last night."

Bakura leaned in even closer, making sure he was eye-to-eye with the CEO for his last point. "And of course, from the way he's avoiding looking at you, I'd say someone wasn't a willing participant in that love making either."

Kaiba looked away from Bakura, his gaze instead landing on Yami's blood-red eyes. "You must be mistaken on all of those accounts. If there is one thing I can say about Wheeler, he is an active participant in anything I ask him to do."  
The knife was at Kaiba's throat before he could even finish the sentence, Yami jumping at Bakura to stop him before he sliced the brunet open.

"You hear me Priest. That mutt is one of my light's best friends. He took care of Ryou when he had no one, and everyone was after him including me. That blond idiot has more courage than all of us put together, and I won't let you destroy him."  
Bakura spat at the CEO, yanking himself out of Yami's grasp before stomping to the bathroom door, unlocking it and yanking it open, leaving Kaiba and Yami to stare at the spot where he had just been.

"Like I'm scared of that idiot anyway, he's part of the reason Mokuba is the way he is now." Kaiba brushed himself off, his confidence returning as quickly as it had disappeared.

"You would do well to heed his warning Kaiba. Joey has proven to be a valuable friend and ally to all of us, and I do not want to see him hurt. Bakura has done some truly horrible things in his past, but the darkness that consumed him has disappeared, and while he does retain some negative aspects of his former personality, he has a good heart and he wants to make up for the things he has done. I suggest you watch your step."  
Kaiba's only response was to turn and leave, Yami staring worriedly at his back.

XXXXXX

Mokuba's day was going even worse than the previous one. After barely getting any sleep, he was forced to talk to another case worker, who seemed to want to document every time he needed a band aid or an aspirin. Not really, but the questions they were asking were starting to get on his nerves.

Luckily Yugi's Grandpa was with him, having closed the shop down for the day to make the meetings. He was currently listening intently to the case worker, making notes as they went along. He had been through this before when Yugi's parents had left, and he remembered how nerve racking the process had been. He wanted things to go smoother this time, even though he knew that when you were dealing with the system, nothing ever went smoothly.

"Mr. Moto. I would like you to go through all of your dealings with both Kaiba brothers in the past few years. It will help us build a profile on Mr. Kaiba." Solomon sighed, leaning back as he contemplated a few things.

"My grandson goes to school with the elder Kaiba boy, and they have gone on many adventures together. He is a... complicated young man."

"I have a note here that he actually put you in the hospital once after stealing from you... the police who investigated the complaint made a note that he disappeared shortly after the incident and the case was never perused."  
Mokuba bit his bottom lip, knowing that his brother's past was about to come back and bite them. Solomon squeezed the boy's hand, smiling reassuringly at him.

"Seto was a victim of a cruel man who abused him relentlessly. He was never taught how to act properly towards his peers and elders, and he had it beaten into him that he was above everyone else and he was to show no weakness to anyone. When I met him, he wanted something of mine that I refused to give him, and he did take it."

Solomon paused, watching as the case worker continually wrote down in her notes before he continued his story.

"We played a game of Duel Monsters, and the stress of the situation caused me to become sick. Since then, I have watched him grow into an adult with the weight of the world on his shoulders. The only thing he cares about is Mokuba, and he would do anything to keep his brother with him, and he has done quite a bit."

The case worker paused in her writing, consulting her notes briefly.

"I understand that Mokuba was kidnapped shortly after all this happened in some sort of plot to take control of Kaiba Corp. Then he was kidnapped during the Battle City tournament, and then he was taken out of school for several months to fly around to build theme parks. Then he was taken over to America, and he wasn't enrolled into school over there either. That's a lot of moving around for a child who should be in school learning. He should be in a more stable home environment and I don't know if his brother can provide that."

Mokuba stood up, clenching his fists as he sneered at the case worker much like his brother would. She simply stared back, tapping her paperwork as she waited for him to sit back down. Mokuba finally complied, flopping back down on the chair while he folded his arms and huffed.

"Mokuba, I know this situation is scary for you, but I really am here to help. Under the law, you are old enough to have a say in where you live, and I'd like to approve you to go back to your brother's home. However, it's my job to make sure that you are safe and getting whatever help you need to get better. I need you to understand this so we can make it through this process."

Mokuba looked down at his shoes, nodding angrily as he listened to the case worker's words. She smiled at the young boy before gathering up her paperwork and standing, holding her hand out to shake both Solomon's and Mokuba's hands.

"One of my co-workers is looking at your house right now, and just as long as he doesn't see anything abnormal, we will allow you to be released back to your brother's custody. I have to finish interviewing a few more people, then we will develop a plan to help both of you deal with what you've been through."

Mokuba nodded, watching silently as she left the room.

"Don't worry Mokuba, I'm sure everything will be worked out soon. I have to get back to the shop, I'll be back to pick you up when school is over."

Solomon got up, patting Mokuba on the back before smiling.

"Thank you Mr. Moto. I appreciate everything you've done to help me and my brother."

Mokuba whispered, picking up his backpack so he could leave the room and go back to his classes.

XXXXXX

Joey headed towards the giant Cherry Blossom Tree in the courtyard as soon as the bell ran for school to end. His last period gym class had ended early when someone had thrown a ball at the door and broke the glass, leaving the class 20 minutes to stare at each other while the teacher yelled.

He plopped down carefully, enjoying the warm sun on his face as he waited for his friends to show up. Tristan showed first, waving at Joey as he made his way over to his buddy. The two friends started talking, Tristan eyeing Joey to see how many injuries he could see.

Yugi and Ryou showed up next, dragging Duke with them, Yami following them smirking at the raven haired boy. Surprisingly, Bakura and Tea were the last to arrive, the two of them whispering to each other as they glanced around the group. Joey frowned, knowing that they were plotting something. Yugi waved at his Joey, trying to get his attention.

"Grandpa wants to know if you want to come over for dinner tonight Joey. The papers didn't go through in time, so Mokuba is staying with us for the night, but he should be able to go back home tomorrow after school." Joey tilted his head, thinking about what Yugi had just said.

"I'll come over for a while, Kaiba is going to be working late tonight anyway so I would just be waiting around the mansion anyway." Yugi smiled, clapping his hands together. Joey smiled at his friend, pulling down the sleeves of his uniform to cover his bruise.

"Good! Grandpa will be so excited to see you! It's been weeks since you've been over! Maybe before dinner we could play a few games together it's been forever since we've dueled."

Yugi continued to babble on about what they could do at the house while Joey absently rubbed his bruises while Bakura watched him carefully. Kaiba choose that moment to walk towards them, staring straight ahead while he talked on the phone. Joey watched him go, not even bothering to try to get his boyfriend's attention.

Tristan caught his eye, raising one eyebrow in a silent question that Joey ignored. The pain in his backside had finally lessened, and he was able to sit down without feeling like crying. All-in-all things were looking up, and Joey hoped they would continue that way. Yugi unlocked the Game Shop's door and walked in, looking around for Grandpa.

"He must have gone to go get Mokuba from his school." There was a note on the desk, and Yugi quickly read it over, nodding to himself. "Grandpa said he will be back shortly. He wants us to start dinner."

Yami immediately headed into the kitchen. Once he learned how to use modern electronics, he had spent a lot of time in the kitchen learning how to cook. He wasn't great, but at least he could cook a few meals for everyone when Grandpa wasn't able too. Yugi followed him while Joey walked into the stock room, looking for something to do.

Seeing some unopened boxes, Joey pulled them out, letting the familiar hum of work distract him from everything that was going on. He quickly finished up the work, placing the merchandise exactly how Grandpa wanted it. Nodding in satisfaction he walked out of the stockroom, surprised to see a middle-aged woman standing in the middle of the shop.

"Can I help you? Gramps closed the shop today but if it's really important..."

"I'm not here to buy anything. I am Anna Kline, I am Mokuba's caseworker. I'm looking for a Joseph Wheeler and Yugi Moto." Joey frowned, extending his hand cautiously as he introduced himself.

"I'm Joey, and Yugi is in the kitchen getting dinner ready. You're not the same woman who I saw yesterday." Anna smiled, shaking Joey's hand.

"That was my boss. She hired me because I know Yugi's grandfather, and she thought would make her more comfortable. I know this whole thing must be scary for all of you, but I honestly am here to help. Mokuba's been through a lot and I want to help him get what he needs to actually get better."

Joey studied her for a few minutes, nodding to himself. After the caseworkers allowed his mother to take his sister and leave him with an abusive alcoholic, Joey had very little faith in the system. Then again, which what Mokuba and Kaiba went through, he couldn't believe that Kaiba had allowed anyone to take his brother without killing him first.

However, Grandpa knew this woman, and trusted her enough that perhaps things would turn out differently for all of them. Speaking of which, Grandpa choose that moment to walk in the door with Mokuba silently tagging along behind him.

"Anna! Was I expecting you to be here?" Grandpa asked, extending a hand towards here.

"Hello Solomon, it's nice to see you again. I actually just came from Mokuba's home, and I wanted to do an evaluation here." Grandpa nodded, opening up the door that separated the shop and the house. Mokuba and Joey followed silently, looking at each other as they walked through the door.

XXXXXX

Insane giggle broke through the quiet sunset, a grown man sitting on the beach wearing a bathrobe and slippers and watching his favorite cartoon: Funny Bunny. Pegasus took a sip out of his wine, flipping through his comic book as he continued to watch the cartoon. He face itched, the hole where the Eye had once been burning once again.

Every day he felt the magic lessen, and the more he remembered of his past, of the awful things that he had done in hopes of getting his wife back. All the people he kidnapped, and the ones he hurt, and all the things he had done to the ones who owned the rest of the Millennium items.

Then there was Mokuba, the young boy he had taken advantage of time and time again all because his older brother had something he wanted desperately. He was no better than some of the other item holders, hurting whoever got in his way to get what he wanted.

Pegasus ran his hands over his bathrobe, making sure he smoothed out the wrinkles as he continued to contemplate where his life was, and where he wanted it to go next.


	5. Unraveling

"Ms. Kline, could I offer you something to drink?" Grandpa asked, offering the younger woman a chair in the kitchen. Anna smiled while she placed her briefcase on the table.

"Just some tea please if you don't mind, I am working after all." Grandpa nodded, turning to heat up some water. Anna turned to Joey and Yugi with a smile on her face.

"I know you two have both been through this before, but I hope you won't let your past experiences get in the way of what is happening now." Yugi and Joey nodded, casting side long glances at each other. Anna pulled out a notebook, setting it on the table.

"I just have some questions to ask you two about things that have popped up during my interviews. The first is about this Pegasus fellow." Yugi sank down in his chair, not looking forward to this at all. After what seemed like hours, Anna left, shaking hands with the boys and gently patting Mokuba on the back before she left. As soon as the door shut, Yugi hugged Mokuba, allowing the raven haired boy a second to regain his composure.

"How about we have dinner now, I think that will make all of us feel a little better." Yami said, ushering them all back to the table. Grandpa turned on the radio, wanting to listen to the news while they eat. Sport scores and weather were discussed, before they started talking about world news.

"So you excited about going back home tomorrow Mokuba?" Yugi asked, passing a plate to the younger boy. Mokuba nodded before smiling.

"I can't wait to sleep in my own bed... not that you guys haven't been great, but I want my own things around me."

"I can understand that Mokuba, being here in my own body has taken some getting used to, especially now that I have my memories as Pharaoh to contend with." Yami accepted his own plate, smiling at Yugi and squeezing his hand. A sudden beep caused them all to stop and look at Joey, who was fumbling with his phone.

"Sorry guys, a Kaiba Corp alert came up on my phone."

Mokuba's phone went off then, and he pulled it out. Joey read over the story, his face starting to pale.

"It says Kaiba Corp just bought out Istcha Enterprises, that new electronics company that has been shooting up the stock market the past few months and causing your stocks to sink."  
"That makes no sense, that company is just a lower level version of Kaiba Corp, it's not worth the stock price and Seto knows that." Mokuba pondered, looking over the story himself.

Joey shrugged, not really understanding what was going through Kaiba's head. "I'm sure he has his reasons Mokuba, we will have to wait and talk to him later."

Mokuba read the article again, oblivious to the four adults who were exchanging surprised looks with each other. _"Why is Kaiba worried about buying a company when his brother is in trouble?"_

XXXXXX

Kaiba sat back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head and smiling. The news was eating up the story of him buying this company, not knowing the true story behind his 'purchase.' The roll of film that was hiding in his desk, the sd card that was duplicated and hidden at home, and the pictures that showed the CEO of Istcha Enterprises doing drugs at a party at his house.

He had been sitting on these, waiting for the stock to rise enough that it wouldn't be an embarrassment to own and swooped in, throwing down the pictures with a check, buying the whole company for barely a million dollars.

The panicked CEO had signed the papers without hesitation, not even smart enough to call a lawyer to look them over. Kaiba pulled out an envelope and placed the film and sd card inside, then sealing it and addressing it to the Domino Police Department. He then called for Roland, handing him the envelope and ordering him to deliver it immediately.

Roland bowed before leaving, shutting the door silently behind him. Kaiba smiled to himself, turning in his chair to stare out at the city below, smiling to himself.

XXXXXX

Joey carefully walked into the mansion, hanging up his old green jacket in the closet before entering further, looking around for signs that his boyfriend was somewhere in the building. He rubbed his wrist carefully, the bruises staring to ache again.

He really didn't want to come back here tonight, after last night's events he really needed a cooling off period, but he didn't want to worry Yugi and his Grandpa by staying there, and he had left Yugi's house too late to stay at one of his other friends houses.  
The old man locked the door at 9 o'clock, not worried about his son's welfare as much as not being awaken by any visitors that might show up. Joey couldn't really blame him, but he didn't want to worry about walking into the apartment with a gun pointing in his face. Once of these days he would pull the trigger by accident, and Joey did not want to be on the end of it.

He entered the kitchen and sighed. No coffee cup was in the sink, or plate in the dishwasher. Kaiba wasn't here, and Joey was relieved. He turned off the light and slunk upstairs to one of the guest rooms. He undressed, sliding in between the sheets before closing his eyes and attempting to fall asleep.

XXXXXX

Mokuba tossed and turned, unable to settle down for the night. Yami was laying on the floor, still awake but trying to give the younger boy space unless he needed it. Mokuba's hip hurt, the scars from his branding throbbing as he tried to work through another nightmare. Crying out, he shot up, jumping out of the bed before tripping over Yami. The former Pharaoh quickly wrapped his arms around the boy, letting him cry.

"I miss Seto Yami. Why can't I go home right now?" Mokuba sobbed, burying his face in Yami's shoulder.

"I don't know Mokuba. Maybe your brother needed some time to get things in order before you came home. He has a lot going on don't forget."

"I know. He's always got stuff going on when I need to talk to him. Seto acts like his problems are harder than mine are. He's never talked about what happened when we were adopted by our step-father, or when we were trapped by Noah."

Yami wrapped his arm around Mokuba, staring off into space.

"Your brother is the proudest man that I know. He wouldn't admit that he was wrong about anything. It's both his gift and his curse, the same as when I was Pharaoh and he was my High Priest. I wish it was different, but it's not going to be. You'll have to deal with all of your brother's faults, and that is one of them."

Mokuba sunk down, laying his head in Yami's lap, falling asleep while the King of Games played with his hair.

XXXXXX

Morning came, and Joey slowly opened his eyes. His alarm was going off, and he groaned. At least today was Friday, two days off would hopefully help things settle down. He reached for the alarm, or at least tried to.

His arm was frozen, a heavy weight on top of it. He looked down, the sleep clearing so he could understand that Kaiba had not only come home, but joined him some time in the night. Joey sighed, Kaiba's iron grip was hurting his bruises, as well as his ribs.

He gently wiggled out, wondering why the brunet hadn't woken up himself. He padded to the guest bathroom, deciding he was going to shower before attempting to wake the beast. The hot water felt good on his aching body, and he took full advantage, frowning when he turned it off.

He didn't bother to get dressed, wrapping a towel around himself before exiting the bathroom. Kaiba was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his arms crossed. He was already dressed, somehow getting completely ready in the time that Joey barely took his shower.

Joey frowned, not sure how to address his boyfriend. Kaiba was giving him the glare, the same one that had caused so many fights between them in the past. Joey wasn't going to let him get away with it. He marched past him, grabbing clothes and throwing them on the bed.

Kaiba waited, his eyes never leaving Joey's. Joey stared back, not budging. Finally, Kaiba relented, standing up and approaching the blond. He placed his hands on Joey's hips, right over the bruises that fit his hands perfectly. He squeezed, staring into Joey's eyes as the blond cried out in pain.

"Oh please. Are you going to start whining over everything too? It's bad enough that Mokuba does it, I don't need you doing it too." Kaiba snarled, pushing Joey back against the dresser.

"I let you come into my home, eat my food, sleep in my bed, and play my games. I don't think a little stress relief for myself is too much to ask don't you think."

Joey shook his head, pushing back against the CEO. "Get off of me jackass. I'm not your little play toy. You begged me to come here and now you want to throw it in my face? I know you're having a rough time because Mokuba is not here but that is not my fault."

Joey wiggled out, grabbing his clothes before slamming the bathroom door. He emerged again a few minutes later, eyeing Kaiba. "I'll take the bus to school today, and I'll stay over at Yugi's for the weekend. Good luck with Mokuba, hopefully you'll learn a little compassion before he comes back."

He turned and walked out the bedroom door, checking his phone to see if Tristan could give him a ride to school. Kaiba didn't bother to stop him, staring at the closed door with a frown.

Tristan pulled up to the gates, looking around for Joey. The blond was hiding right behind him, quietly slipping out when he saw his friend. Tristan handed him a helmet, and the two boys took off. There was still time before school, and the two boys decided to stop at Yugi's and see if he had left yet.

Even though Tristan had his bike, he still liked to walk to school with his friends and leaving the motorcycle at the Game Shop under Grandpa's watchful eye.

They were in luck, not only were Yami and Yugi still at the shop, but Tea had come by for breakfast. Grandpa offered the two boys the leftovers, and Joey accepted, sitting down next to a silent Mokuba with a grin. "Thanks Gramps I'm starving! I didn't have a chance to eat before Tris picked me up."

"Well, I can't send my boys off to school without some sort of food in their bellies... how are they supposed to graduate when they can't concentrate?" Grandpa asked jokingly, rubbing Joey's hair affectionately. Mokuba watched the rest of the group fool around while he finished his cereal, too tired to add anything to the conversation. Joey nudged the younger boy several times, quietly asking him if he was alright. Mokuba nodded, not wanting to get into his conversation with Yami the night before.

"Mokuba, Roland will be by shortly to pick you up and take you to school. Do you have everything packed?" Grandpa asked, smiling. Mokuba nodded again, only sleeping two hours a night gave one a lot of time to make sure they got everything done.

"Why don't you go get your bags and put them by the door? We have to make sure you are not late for school." Mokuba stood up and left the table, running quickly up the stairs to grab his bags. Joey watched him leave before looking back at Yugi and Yami.

"Last night wasn't any better was it?" He questioned, watching as Yami sunk into his chair, attempting to avoid eye contact.

"He was up half the night with nightmares. Yami sat with him, but I don't know if that helped at all." Yugi confirmed, grabbing Yami's hand and squeezing.

"I don't know what to do for him. Maybe a weekend with you and his brother will help." Joey sighed, knowing that it was now or never.

"Kaiba and I got into a fight this morning about the whole situation. He doesn't want me to be there when Mokuba gets home, he thinks it's going to be too much for him. Is it ok if I stay over here this weekend Yugi?" Joey said, smiling to make everyone think things were ok.

"Hey Joey, why don't you come over to my place? Mom's been dying to have someone watch her soaps with her, and dad wants to try out his new smoker, you'll be the perfect guinea pig!" Tristan suggested, reaching around Tea to hit Joey in the arm. The blond grinned, knowing this was going to be the best offer he was going to receive.

Tea stood up then, picking up her plate before glaring at Tristan and Joey to do the same. The three visitors cleaned up, loading the dishwasher and wiping the table for the Moto's. Grandpa thanked them, handing Yugi a box.

"I have some leftover cinnamon rolls for Ryou and Bakura. Maybe someday they'll actually come to the house so I can get to know them." Yugi smiled, snuggling the box into his book bag. He then looked at his watch, looking back at his group of friends.

"We need to get going guys, better say good-bye to Mokuba before we go." The raven-haired boy appeared just then, waving at the group as they walked out the door.

XXXXXX

 _Footsteps echoed throughout the house, making it seem even creepier than usual. They paused at the door, and Seto held his breath, hoping that his adopted father wouldn't enter and force him into more work. So many math problems, his head was spinning._

 _It had only been a few months since the adoption, and Seto was starting to wonder if he had made a mistake. The endless hours of books, the almost no human contact, and the beatings wore down on him, wondering if he was good enough to be this man's heir._

 _"_ _Seto." The voice boomed, and the young boy quickly jumped off of the bed, opening the door to reveal his adopted father standing there. The belt was already out, and it whipped across Seto's face before he could even react. "I've been told that you've been slowing down on your studies Seto. I thought we were cleared on the rules here. You kept the grades up, don't embarrass me in public, and I leave your little brother alone."_

 _Seto's eyes widened, realizing where he was going._

 _"_ _You better figure out your studies young man, or that adorable doe-eyed brother of yours is going to be next." The elder Kaiba turned and left, swinging his belt back and forth with a careless whistle escaping his lips. Seto reached up to touch his swollen cheek, silent fuming as he watched the man disappear. Closing the door, he made it to the bathroom, carefully cleaning up his face. His clock beeped that it was time to go down for dinner, and Seto knew he had to make sure he was cleaned up before presenting himself._

 _He patted himself dry, avoiding touching his face as much as possible. He grabbed a fresh shirt out of the closet and quickly changed into it before leaving his room. The sounds of giggling met his ears, and Seto walked into the dining hall to see his younger brother laughing as their 'father' tickled him and chuckled at Mokuba's faces._

 _"_ _Seto!" Mokuba gasped, smiling at his brother as he tried to catch his breath. "Guess what we're having for dinner! Spaghetti and meatballs!"_

 _The raven-haired fuzz ball hugged his older brother, frowning as he looked at Seto's face. "What happened to you Seto? Why's your face so red?"_

 _"_ _I tripped and fell on the steps Mokuba, but I'm fine." Seto smiled at his little brother before sitting down at his seat._

 _"_ _Mokuba has finally caught up to his class, I am most proud of you my boy!" Gozaburo clasped Mokuba on the shoulder, smiling broadly._

 _"_ _They said it would take him two years to catch up, it only took him 3 months to take over as the top of his class!"_

 _Seto smiled a little at his brother, not sure what to say._

 _"_ _I'm proud of you too Mokuba" He repeated, looking down at his plate, hoping this dinner would end soon. Once the spaghetti was finished, the maid brought out ice cream sundaes, which Mokuba engulfed, then polished off his brother's. He was then dismissed, with Seto sticking behind._

 _"_ _So Seto, I'm glad that at least one of my sons is living up to his potential." Gozaburo stated, staring down the young teen._

 _"_ _You worry too much about him instead of your own studies, a trait most unbecoming to the heir apparent of my company. I expect you to catch up by the end of the month, or I'll be forced to make this separation more permanent." Gozaburo sneered, getting up from the table and walking away, leaving Seto staring down at his plate quietly._

XXXXXX

Kaiba jerked himself awake, shaking his head to get rid of the memories. He had dozed off during math class, not that he needed to pay attention but he needed to keep up appearances for the sake of his brother.

Joey was in the class, sulking in the opposite corner while casting glances over at the CEO. Kaiba rolled his eyes, wondering what he was thinking when he started to shack up with the mutt in the first place. Duke was eyeing him too, looking him over carefully.

Kaiba met his stare head on, daring the Dungeon Dice master to challenge him. The bell rang, and still the three sat there, waiting for the other to make a move. The next class started to filter in, which finally broke the standoff. Kaiba stood up, sweeping out of the room dramatically.

He entered the bathroom, splashing water on his face to calm his nerves. The door swung open, and he ignored it until his face was pressed up against the mirror.

"What is your problem Kaiba?" Bakura demanded, squeezing the CEO's neck tighter.

"I thought I warned you about messing with my Light's friends, and now the mutt's wandering around like he got in trouble after peeing on the carpet."

"Why do you care? It's not like they like you... Ryou would rather be with the friendship freak than look at you, that's pretty pathetic if you ask me." Kaiba attempted to sneer, even though Bakura's grip was starting to cut off his oxygen.

"That's enough Kaiba. Bakura you need to let him go, we didn't come in to strangle him." Yami's rich baritone rang out, making Kaiba frown.

"Fine. But I'm not responsible if anything should happen to him if he makes any more smart ass remarks about my Light." Bakura stated calmly, letting go of Kaiba's throat. The CEO gasped twice, filling up his lungs quickly before turning and glaring at the two spirits.

"Get away from me before I have both of you arrested." He growled, pushing through to the door without answering either of them.

XXXXXX

Mokuba bounced up and down in the limo, excited that he was finally going to be going back home. Roland was grinning at the young boy's antics, glad to have him back.

"Young Master Kaiba, we will be back home shortly. Your brother will be home in time for dinner, any suggestions on what we should have?"

Mokuba thought about it for a few minutes, going through a list of all of his favorite foods. "Honestly Roland, I just want some soup with that fancy bread that Joey gets from the bakery. Do you think Joey will be able to make it tonight for dinner?" Mokuba asked hopefully, smiling at Roland. The bodyguard sighed, not knowing what to say.

"Mr. Wheeler isn't going to be home tonight Mokuba, your brother thought it would be for the best if it was just the two of you tonight." Mokuba sank down in the back, disappointed. He missed Joey, the blond always seemed to know what to say to help him deal with his nightmares, but his brother knew what the best was for all of them.

The limo pulled up to the mansion, and Mokuba bounced out, smiling at the maid who opened the door. He immediately ran into the living room and pulled out his games, happily plugging them in and playing until the maid came and told him to clean up for dinner. Mokuba looked at the clock, not realizing that it was so late already.

"Is my brother here yet?" He inquired, and the maid nodded.

"He's in the family room waiting for you sir." Mokuba smiled and walked out of the room, eager to see Seto.

"Big brother I missed you." He sobbed as soon as he saw Seto, running into his brother's waiting arms. Kaiba aloud himself a small smile at seeing his baby brother again before stiffening again.

"It's nice to have you home Mokuba, the Mansion has been rather quiet without you in it." Mokuba smiled, settling down on the couch next to his brother, mindlessly watching a show while he worked. Finally, dinner was ready, and they settled at the table, quiet as the usually noisy third person was not there. Suddenly the doorbell rang, and both brothers looked over in shock.

"Were you expecting visitors tonight Mokuba?" Kaiba questioned, raising an eyebrow at his brother.

"No Seto, I didn't invite anyone over." Mokuba answered, looking over at his brother. Roland had already slipped out of the room, returning a few minutes later. Kaiba waited for him to say something, and when that didn't happen he snapped.

"Who was at the door Roland?" The bodyguard sighed before standing aside as someone else entered the room.

"Hello Kaiba-Boy."


	6. Flashback-becoming friends

This flashback takes place a few weeks after everyone returns from Egypt after the Pharaoh leaves... not much angst in this one, needed a little break before the next part

 _Mokuba couldn't help but roll his eyes at his big brother. They had been back from Egypt for two weeks and the older boy was driving him nuts. Ranting and raving under his breath, throwing objects, refusing to leave his office to come home at night, and breaking several lap tops were just the tip of the ice berg. Right now the raven haired boy was trying to get his brother to eat something, anything. The only good thing about his brother's attitude was the distraction it presented so he could brush off the nightmares that had been coming at an alarming rate- memories of Pegasus, Bakura, Noah, Marik, all using him to get to his big brother... Mokuba shook his head, not wanting to remember anymore, instead he focused back on his brother, who was currently typing violently on his keyboard._

 _"I'll call Yugi, tell him to come over for a duel if you just take a few bites Seto." He suggested, hoping he could tempt his older brother. Blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and the sandwich that had been sitting on his desk was pushed off._

 _"You know I don't play that game Mokuba. There's no one in the world that's worth dueling anymore." He snarked, turning back to the computer and ignoring the smaller boy. Mokuba sighed, shaking his head._

 _"Alright big brother, you win. I'm going home, I have to go to school in the morning, and maybe you should too." Kaiba tapped his desk thoughtfully, realizing that his brother wasn't wrong._

 _"_ _OK Mokuba, I'll go home with you. Just give me a few minutes to finish this up." Mokuba smiled brightly, sitting down on his chair while he waited for his brother, glad he wasn't going home by himself to deal with his nightmares._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _Kaiba sat in the back of the classroom, eyes never leaving his laptop. His 'peers' had filtered in, ignored the brunette sitting in the back of the room. Yugi and Joey were among the last, both glancing at him before settling in their own seats._  
 _They whispered to themselves, glancing back at the CEO before continuing their conversation. Finally Joey stood up, looking over at the taller boy carefully. He sat down on the desk in front of Kaiba, waiting for a minute before starting to talk._

 _"I'm surprised to see you Kaiba. Figured you were too busy running that fancy company of yours to bother with all of us normal people." He said, smiling._

 _"Didn't realize you cared so much about me Wheeler. I'm flattered." Kaiba snarled, looking even harder at his screen._

 _"_ _Don't be Kaiba. Yugi and I have been talking to Mokuba. He's worried to death about you, and asked us for help." Kaiba snorted, ignoring the mutt staring at him. Joey leaned in, lowering his voice._

 _"Seriously Kaiba, Yugi and I are concerned about you. We all miss the Pharaoh, but we're dealing with it as best as we can. Together, as friends. Even Mokuba has been talking about things that have happened, but you're the only one who won't share or talk about what you're going through." Kaiba kept talking, trying to keep his emotions under check. Joey sighed, staring at the typing fingers. He tossed a piece of paper at Kaiba, staring at the CEO._

 _"That's my new number. Use it sometime." Kaiba didn't make a move, and Joey walked away, shrugging at Yugi who had watched the whole exchange carefully._

 _XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX_

 _Weeks passed, and things began going back into a routine. Kaiba had yet to come back to school, and Yugi was at a loss as to what to do. Joey tried to be helpful, but privately he enjoyed the days of not hearing his name being spat out of the other man's mouth._

 _Tristan was too busy spending time with Duke, and Ryou was enjoying his new freedom without his darker half. Tea was quiet, missing not only the Pharaoh but the closeness that the gang had once had. They didn't spend much time together now, and it bothered her that they could fall apart so easily._

 _She pushed the thoughts back as she pulled her dance bag out of her locker, yelling a quick bye to Joey as she dashed away to her lesson. Joey watched her go, waving at her back. He grabbed a few books before closing his own locker, leaning up against it waiting for Yugi. The smaller boy finally appeared, frowning as he approached his own locker deep in though._

 _"What's wrong Yug? You look like someone just punch you in the gut." Joey said, wrapping his arm around his best friend._

 _"Sorry Joey, I was just thinking about... well you know." Joey smiled at his friend, giving the shorter boy a quick squeeze on the shoulder._

 _"I know Yug, we all miss him."_

 _"It's not just that Joey. Everything's changed. I miss all of us being friends." Joey frowned, looking down at Yugi._

 _"You'll always be my bud Yugi, even when we're old and gray and can't even remember how to play Duel Monsters." Yugi nodded, not looking convinced._

 _"Speaking of being friends forever, Mokuba texted me last night." Joey added, watching as Yugi's head snapped up._

 _"I didn't know you too talked that much." He stated quietly, and Joey shrugged._

 _"_ _I ran into him and his brother last night, and they had me over for dinner. Gave the shrimp my number on the way out, and apparently he decided to use it. He wants to have the gang over this weekend for a pool party. He's been really lonely since we got back."_

 _"That might not be a bad idea. It would be nice for all of us to hang out again." Yugi said carefully, mulling over the idea in his mind._

 _"We've never really done anything with Kaiba that doesn't involve saving the world, or at least a member of our family." Joey staggered against the lockers, pretending to be in shock._

 _"You mean there's a chance we can show Rich Boy that there is more to life than just challenging people to card games?! He might just faint!" Yugi smiled at that, closing his locker before following the blond out of the school._

 _XXXXXXXXX_

 _Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and before any of the teens knew it they were outside The Kaiba Mansion, staring at the closed gates._

 _"_ _Anyone got the password?" Tristan joked, looking around for some sort of buzzer to ring so they can be let in._

 _"Knowing Kaiba you probably have to sign away your first born and pledge your life to him and his little brother." Duke added, winking at Tea. Yugi smiled faintly, picking up his phone to call Mokuba. A few words were exchanged and the gates opened, closing quickly after the gang had entered._

 _"Mokuba said to go around back, there's a pool house where we can change and there will be a buffet set up shortly for lunch." Tristan and Joey looked at each other for a second before taking off, fighting to be the first ones to the food. Tea sighed, looking over at Yugi._

 _"Looks like some things never change."_

 _Y_ _ugi smiled in agreement. An hour later the gang in was in the pool, playing an intense game of volleyball. Yugi, Joey, and Duke were teamed against Tristan, Tea and Ryou. Mokuba was the ref, and also took over when someone needed a break. He was having a ball, harassing all the teens while they attempted to argue with his calls._

 _Yugi in particular was having a hard time, the few inches he had grown since Egypt not helping much with hitting the ball over the net. No one noticed that Kaiba was watching from the pool house, keeping a vigil eye on his little brother._

 _At some point Mokuba stood up, walking around the edge of the pool, pointing at a spot and arguing playfully with Joey. The blond obviously didn't appreciate what Mokuba was saying, and he got out of the pool, dripping as he placed both hands on his hips and continued to talk with Mokuba._

 _Kaiba noticed his little brother was laughing, which didn't stop his fists from clenching at Joey's attitude._

 _Finally the talking stopped, and the two stared at each other for a minute before Joey grabbed Mokuba and jumped in the pool to the younger boys squealing. They both surfaced, laughing and looking like they were having the time of their lives. Kaiba snorted to himself, looking down at his watch, knowing that he should go back to work._

 _Still... maybe he could push it back a bit. He tilted his head, going through the options in his mind. Sighing, he pulled open the door and stepped out, strolling over to the pool's edge before any of the teens saw him. Mokuba was the first to react, swimming over to him with a grin._

 _"Big brother! You're here! Are you going to swim with us?"_

 _Kaiba shook his head, opening his mouth to answer right before he found himself flying through the air, hitting the water with a big splash while a blond mutt and a brunet idiot grinned like mad at him. Kaiba surfaced, looking over at the laughing teens who were high-fiving themselves and Mokuba. None of them noticed the CEO standing in the water, arms crossed as he stared at them._

 _"Joey and Tristan! What were you two thinking? Kaiba was nice enough to let us come over here and you two decide to throw him in the pool?"_

 _Joey grinned sheepishly, sliding back into the water and staying next to Mokuba._

 _"_ _It was all Mokuba's idea, we were just innocent victims in all of it I swear."_

 _Kaiba continued to stare, feeling his blood pressure rise. "I should have known not to let animals into my house. I'm going to have to drain the pool to get all the hair out now."_  
 _"_

 _You want a piece of me Kaiba, come and get it." Joey snarled, raising his fist. Tristan quickly grabbed a hold of him. Mokuba attempted to help, placing his hand on the blond's shoulder to try to calm him._

 _"Big brother stop it! We were just having a big of fun, I'm sorry you got thrown in the pool but it doesn't give you the right to be mean to my friends!" Kaiba froze at Mokuba's words, not wanting to continue upsetting his little brother. Mokuba took a breath, looking over at the gang._

 _"How about we get out? I just got a new batch of video games that we can all play!" Yugi smiled at that, wanting to ease the tension that had seeped into their afternoon._

 _"_ _That sounds like a great idea Mokuba I'm starting to feel a little water logged myself!"_

 _The rest of the gang agreed, and they quickly vacated the pool, leaving Kaiba standing in the water with his arms still crossed and his mind running a mile a minute._

 _XXXXXX_

 _"And the Mario Kart winning is Joey Wheeler... the crowd goes wild!" Joey dropped the controller and threw his hands in the air, almost knocking over Ryou, who had made the mistake of sitting next to him. Yugi smiled, putting down his own controller and sighing. The race had been a close one, but for once Joey's own Lady Luck had come through. He had gotten the right weapon at the last moment and used it to steal first place from Yugi, dashing through the finish line milliseconds in front of him. The tri-colored hair boy smiled, glad his friend was so happy._

 _"Great game Joey!" Mokuba cheered, giving the older boy a hug. Joey continued to dance around the room, pumping his arms slowly in an attempt to be dramatic. He finally stopped in front of Yugi, kneeling to give the boy a high five._

 _"In order to preserve my win percentage-" Duke snorted, rolling his eyes at Joey's bragging "I am going to officially retire from Mario Kart and let the next generation get its chance." He finished, handing his controller to Tristan. He then turned to Mokuba, still grinning._

 _"You think you can give me directions to the bathroom again Mokuba? I wasn't really paying attention before."_  
 _"_

 _Just go up the stairs, it's the 2nd door on the right."_

 _"Thanks"_

 _Joey left the room, whistling. Tristan paused the game long enough to look at his watch. "If he's not back in 10 minutes, let's assume Kaiba got him and we need to send out a search team." The rest of the gang laughed, settling in to watch the game, each subconsciously taking a glance at the clock themselves._

 _X_ _XXXXXX_

 _Joey wandered upstairs, quickly finding the bathroom. Once he finished, he carefully dug through the medicine cabinet, looking for something to cover up the cut on his thigh. Being in the water had soften up the scab, and Joey cursed at himself for forgetting to bring more supplies. He thought he had given the scratch enough time to heal, but clearly he was wrong._

 _Now he was bleeding, and unless he wanted to get blood all over Kaiba's house, he was going to need help. Grabbing some toilet paper, he used it to soak up the blood, taping it into place with the little bit of gauze he had left, hoping that would be enough until he found something stronger._

 _He carefully peaked out the door, running over the rooms in his head. If his calculations were correct, Kaiba's office should be diagonal from him, a short walk that hopefully would give him what he needed. Taking a breath, Joey left the bathroom, walking quickly over to the other door. He tapped on it lightly, hoping that Kaiba would let him in._

 _"What do you want mutt?" Kaiba's voice answered, ready to fight._

 _"Hey Kaiba, do you have some gauze? I have a cut on my leg that won't stopped bleeding." Kaiba marched over and yanked open the door, staring down at Joey in annoyance._

 _"Did you happen to get it when you shoved me in my own pool?" He asked, and Joey sighed._

 _"I got it at home the other day alright? I got on the wrong end of my dad's belt." Kaiba winced, memories of his own father's belt still in his head._

 _"Follow me." He pushed in front of Joey, leading the blond down the hall. He stopped in front of one of the doors, opening it and allowing Joey inside. The shorter duelist stopped in amazement of what he saw._

 _"Is this the bedroom of the great Seto Kaiba himself?" Joey pretended to gasp, smiling cheekily._

 _"Shut up and sit on that chair and don't move." Kaiba disappeared into the attached bathroom, and Joey took the opportunity to look around the room. It was empty and cold, all sharp lines and edges. The oversized bed was covered by a plain blue comforter, with white sheets. The walls were white, with no pictures anywhere._

 _"Are you enjoying the view mutt? I'm sure you've never been anywhere so clean before." Joey stared at him for a second, before dropping his head._

 _"No, I haven't. I've never been anywhere so cold and empty before either." Joey stared at his hands, no noticing when Kaiba dropped down next to him._

 _"Where did he hit you?" Joey pulled up his pant leg, peeling off his make-shift bandage._

 _"It was scabbing over, but I guess being in the pool made it start bleeding again."_

 _Kaiba looked over the wound, frowning. "You should have gotten stitches Wheeler, this is a lot deeper than you think." Kaiba carefully cleaned the wound, wrapping it with gauze as tightly as he could. "That should help it heal better."_

 _"_ _Thanks Kaiba, I appreciate it." Joey inspected the bandage, nodding to himself._

 _"You should get back to your friends, I'm sure they are wondering where you are." Kaiba busied himself cleaning up the mess he had made, and Joey smiled._

 _"Well you should come downstairs and hang out with us Kaiba. Mokuba would be over the moon." Kaiba stopped, looking up at Joey as the blond started to leave the room._

 _"Besides, it'll give you a chance to prove that you can actually beat Yugi in a game." Kaiba frowned at that, watching as Joey disappeared._

 _XXXXXX_

 _He reentered the game room to find Tristan and Ryou in the middle of an intense game of Wii Golf. He settled in next to Mokuba, who was laughing at the two boys who were attempting to hit the ball more than 30 yards. Mokuba glanced over at his friend, giggling._

 _"You made it! Tristan was going to start a search party for you if you weren't back soon."_

 _"Yea kid, I can see he is really worried about me. I'm so lucky to have friends like him." Joey dead-panned, looking over at his friends who were fighting over who got to play next. Mokuba grinned, looking over at the door to see his brother standing there._

 _"Big brother! You came back! Do you want to play a game with me?" Mokuba jumped off the couch, running over to him._

 _"The mutt told me there was a party going on in here, I thought I'd come to make sure everything was under control." Kaiba crossed the room, settling in a chair next to where Joey was sitting. Mokuba smiled, dancing around in excitement._

 _"Big brother, will you play a game with me?" Kaiba agreed, taking the controller from Tristan and waiting for his brother to pick what they would play._

 _XXXXXX_

 _A while later, everyone got ready to leave. They all enthusiastically thanked both the Kaiba brothers for letting them come over, promising Mokuba it wouldn't be a onetime deal. Joey hung back for a second, pulling Kaiba aside to thank him for his help._

 _Kaiba nodded once before handing Joey a card, telling him in low tones that next time something happened to call the number for his private doctor. Joey nodded, not sure what this change of heart was about, but glad that Kaiba was acting human for once._  
 _Mokuba watched out of the corner of his eye the exchange between the boys, wondering to himself. Once the group had left, he turned to Seto, giving him a hug._

 _"Thanks Seto that was a fun time." Kaiba smiled at his little brother._

 _"I need to go back to work now Mokuba. You, on the other hand, need to pick up the mess your friends left in the game room." Kaiba told him sternly, ruffling his brother's hair as he walked away. Mokuba smiled, happy that his brother was in such a good mood, bouncing off to clean up like his brother asked._

 _Leaning up against the door, Kaiba sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he had had a decent time with the geek squad. It was amazing how little they all ticked him off when they weren't worried about 'saving the world.' Speaking of which... he reached for his phone, dialing his private investigator._

 _"It's me. I need everything you have on Joseph Wheeler, Jr. and Sr. I'm looking for hospital records in particular."_

 _Kaiba snapped shut his phone, tapping it against his lips as he stared into the distance deep in thought._


	7. Univited Guests

Mokuba stared wide-eyed at the man in front of him. Memories started flooding back, of Pegasus and his goons hurting him. He reflexively leaned back, trying to avoid eye contact with the older man. Kaiba sat next to him, staring at the silver-haired man.

"What are you doing here Pegasus?" He snarled, clenching his fists as he rose to confront the intruder.

"Is that any way to greet a guest Kaiba-boy?" Pegasus smiled, settling into the seat at the table that Croquet had pulled out for him. Kaiba blinked at the security guard, having not even noticed that the man had come in in the first place. He glared at Roland, who shook his head slowly.

"I greet invited guests Pegasus, not ones who barge into my home and scare my little brother!" Kaiba yelled, leaning over the table towards Pegasus. The billionaire laughed, tilting back his head as the giggles escaped him.

"I so love your sass Kaiba-boy, it fills me with joy."

Mokuba's eyes went back and forth between the two CEO's, pulling his cell phone to text a quick SOS to Joey, hoping the blond would come save him.

"I'll show you sass Pegasus when I put your head through a wall!" Kaiba slammed his fists down on the table, causing the drinks to almost fall over.

"I haven't seen my brother in days and now you are interrupting what little time I do have with him. Get out of my house before I throw you out."

Pegasus leaned back in his chair, his calm demeanor showing in direct contrast to Kaiba's rage. Croquet stepped forward, ready to defend his master against the boy but Pegasus waved him off, motioning for the bodyguard to stand against the way.

"Not now Croquet. Actually, why don't you go out to the car and bring in the bottle of wine I brought? Kaiba-boy doesn't seem to know how to play host or he would have offered me a drink already."  
"Are you crazy Pegasus? You are not bringing wine into this house! You're not bringing anything into this house... you're not welcome here!" Kaiba had had enough, ready to throw Pegasus out himself. Pegasus waved a finger, smiling at the Kaiba brothers.

"Actually I've come here to help you with your little... family issue."

Mokuba looked up at Pegasus, not knowing where this was leading. Pegasus locked eyes with the younger brother, looking at him steadily. A long moment past, neither side was willing to give an inch. Finally, Croquet came back in, carrying a black bag with him.

Pegasus took it, pulling out a bottle and a glass. Croquet popped the cork, pouring his boss a drink before retreating back to the wall. Pegasus took a slip, swishing it around with a slight smile. "Would you like a sip Kaiba-boy? You're old enough now that people are going to expect you to know how to enjoy a glass or two during a business deal."

"I don't drink Pegasus." Kaiba growled, folding his arms. Pegasus nodded sagely.

"A wise decision, given that your boyfriend's father is an alcoholic. Wouldn't want to put ideas into dear Joseph's head right?" Pegasus nodded sagely as he took another sip and smiled.

"How did you even know about that?"

Pegasus smiled, pulling a stack of files out of his briefcase.

"Let's just say I did my research. I know quite a bit about all of your friends, plus you and Mokuba. Some of it is more interesting than most."

Kaiba was across the table, reaching for Pegasus's throat before Croquet was able to grab his boss and push him out of the way, sending the files up in the air and all over the floor. Mokuba didn't wait, he took off from the room, as fast as he could. The faint sounds of Pegasus pouting about the mess accompanied him as he left.

XXXXXXXX

 _So much pain. Mokuba's whole body hurt from his fall out of Pegasus's tower earlier that day. He had been right there, Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea were willing to help him find his big brother, but that man had grabbed him. Mokuba counted his bruises, trying to ignore the finger prints on his wrists from where he was grabbed by Pegasus's guards. He closed his eyes, imagining that he was standing on the beach with the other four. The past few hours ran through his head- watching Yami fight that fake clone of his brother, having to defend him against all the bad things he had done to the rest of the group. The look in Yugi's eyes as he fought hard, knowing his opponent was cheating, only to win when Seto managed to hack into the system and bring down his own monster._

 _When he realized that everything was not going according to plan, Kemo had ran off with him back to the castle, and neither Yugi nor his friends had bothered to try to stop him._

 _"_ _I guess I'm not made to have friends... Seto's right the only person's who's there for me is him."_

 _"_ _Oh little Mokuba, that's not true, I would be your friend if you want me too. All you have to do is ask and you shall receive." Pegasus's form filled the door, making Mokuba shrink back a little. He didn't know how to deal with the inventor of Duel Monster's. On the one hand the man had kid-napped him, separating him from his big brother and taking over their company._

 _On the other... the older man spent a lot of time with Mokuba, talking to him about school and his friends and cartoons they both liked. He also had the chefs cook Mokuba anything he wanted, and supplied the young boy with games enough to keep him entertained. However, there was that kid-napped thing again, and at the end of the day that meant the most._

 _"_ _I'd rather have no friends than to have someone like you as a friend." Mokuba snapped, turning his back on the older man. Pegasus sighed, looking over at the young boy while shaking his head slowly._

 _"_ _All right then Mokuba, I guess you give me no choice." He snapped his fingers, and his guards burst in, grabbing Mokuba and dragging him out of the room while Pegasus watched._

XXXXXXX

Joey sat in the back of Ryou's car, counting the seconds before they would make it to the mansion. Tristan's family had ended up having plans for the evening, but his parents had been more than happy to let Joey come over on Saturday once they were back from their overnight trip. When Ryou had heard what was going on, he offered up his own place for the night, knowing that Joey wanted to give Yugi's Grandpa a break after dealing with Mokuba the past few days.

Once they got to Ryou's, Bakura sat in a corner, watching Joey idly while playing with his ever present knife. Joey tried to speak to him several times, giving up when he didn't respond.

Joey had finally pulled Ryou aside to ask him what Bakura's deal with, only to find out that he had threatened Kaiba because of the fight Kaiba had had with Joey. Ryou confessed that the dinner had been Bakura's idea, he had demanded that the blond come over so he could check him out for more injuries.

"Turn right here Ryou, Kaiba's place is right after this bend." Joey said, checking his watch again.

"10 minutes, hopefully everyone is alright." He muttered to himself. Bakura looked back at the blond quickly, flicking at the knife he held at his side.

XXXXXXX

Mokuba sat out in the hall, his arms wrapped around his knees. He was trying to not have a panic attack, trying to breathe in and out like his therapist had told him too. The man who abused him, who had hurt him was in his house, sitting at his table as if nothing had happened, sipping wine and playing his mind games.

"Mokuba!" Joey shouted, interrupting his thoughts. The blond was sitting next to him, wrapping his arms around Mokuba while Ryou and Bakura stood near-by. Mokuba looked over at Bakura, stiffening up as he remembered the time that Bakura had kidnapped him also.

"Mokuba, don't go there. Bakura's only here to help. Remember what we talked about before." Joey whispered, trying to get the younger boy to calm down. Mokuba closed his eyes, leaning his head against Joey's chest. The blond sat there, allowing Mokuba to cry into his shirt. Ryou sat down next to Joey, and Bakura sat next to his hikari, still feeling his knife.

"Can you tell me what happened Mokuba? Why is Pegasus here in the first place?" Joey asked, rubbing the boy's shoulders.

"He said he wants to help with our 'family issues.' He knows stuff about us. He's been researching our lives and our families' lives to play some sort of game with all of us. I don't want him here Joey. Make him leave please." Joey nodded, sliding out from underneath Mokuba.

"I'll be right back, stay here with Ryou and Bakura." Mokuba nodded, allowing Ryou to wrap his arm around his shoulders. Joey took a breath, walking into the dining room with a purpose. All the heads looked at him, Pegasus smiling knowingly as if he was expecting the blond to be there. Kaiba looked over at his boyfriend, still steamed at Pegasus's avoidance of his questions.

"What do you want Wheeler? I'm trying to deal with a very annoying problem right now I don't have time for you." Joey ignored Kaiba, instead marching up to Pegasus and folding his arms.

"I'm assuming you're here because you know the things Mokuba has been saying about you in his therapy sessions. Are you going to defend yourself or are you trying to get him to not say things anymore?" Pegasus blinked once, slowly smiling at the irate blond in front of him.

"I appreciate your candor Joseph, perhaps you would like a seat?" Pegasus motioned to the chair next to him, which Joey sat in, folding his arms and staring at the CEO. Pegasus turned his chair, completely ignoring Kaiba to set his sights on Joey.

"Your attitude is most refreshing Joseph. I believe Kaiba-boy could learn a thing or two from playing with you." Kaiba snorted at that, causing Joey to role his eyes at the brunet.

"Now, I am here because of Mokuba's therapy sessions, but not the reason you may think. I've heard some of the things that Mokuba has accused me of, and I'm afraid they are simply not true." Kaiba's eyes narrowed, and he addressed Joey stiffly.

"What is he accusing Pegasus of?" Joey shook his head, not wanting to break the promise he had made to Mokuba before.

"Mokuba hasn't given me the details of what he talks about, I just know that Pegasus is one of the many topics." Pegasus shook his head, sighing.

"Kaiba-boy, I'd be glad to talk about things but I'm afraid you might over-react before I have the chance to explain things." Croquet chose that moment to step away from the wall, stepping behind his boss casually while staring intently at the younger CEO.

"Croquet, if you try to put a bullet in our host I will be very disappointed in you." Pegasus shook his head at his body guard, ignoring Kaiba and Joey's looks of surprise at his words. Croquet nodded, brushing his hand against his hip while staring unblinking at Kaiba. Roland stood next to his own boss, doing the same at Pegasus. The silver-haired man frowned even more.

"If there is one thing I can't stand its bad form. I may have done many wrong things in my life, but I always did them with grace and charm." Joey rolled his eyes, wondering if Pegasus actually believed what he said.

"Now then, I am more than willing to discuss some of the things I've come to learn with both of you. However, I want to know that you won't attack me until I'm done."

Kaiba growled, rolling his eyes before agreeing. Joey did too, knowing that Pegasus had placed him on this side of the table to help block Kaiba. Pegasus took a breath, before turning and looking straight at Kaiba.

"I know you don't believe in the power of the Millennium items Kaiba-boy, but I know just as well that young Joseph here does. He has seen their incredible power himself, has seen his friends brought down by the strength they give a mad-man, and watched the world shake under their incredible power." Joey found himself nodding, remembering things that had happened in his lifetime.

"I was one of the ones who was affected by its power, someone who was given the item and allowed his judgment to disappear under its allure. All I wanted was my wife back, and the eye promised me the power to do so." Kaiba rolled his eyes, unable to bear Pegasus's long winded stories.

"Along the way, I took control of Kaiba Corp, putting your brother under my control. All I wanted was to use your technology to bring back my wife, and I ended up destroying so much. When I sent you and Mokuba to the Shadow Realm, I had no idea what was going to happen to you. Mokuba... had nightmares during his stay there, and they have bled into his life. He thinks I did things to him, awful things that even at my lowest I wouldn't do to a child. I have come to plead my case to him, to clear my name and hopefully bring your brother some peace."

Kaiba's eyes darkened, looking over at the man as he realized what Pegasus was saying.

"I swear Kaiba-boy, I never meant to cause you so much pain. Surely you can understand what it's like to lose someone you love so much, to watch as they get farther and farther away from you and there is nothing you can do to stop Fate from playing her dirty tricks on you."

Pegasus paused, taking a moment to compose himself. Joey couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man, knowing from being ripped apart from his sister at an early age what that could do to a person. Kaiba ignored him, folding his arms and glaring at the older CEO who finally relented.

"I can prove it. You see, Mokuba believes I branded him when he escaped from my tower, which is not true. He claims there is a mark on his right hip, but he never allowed the therapist to see it. Have you?" He questioned the two boys, both of whom shook their heads. "I believe if we talk to Mokuba we can clear this up and he can start his healing process."

Kaiba clenched his fists, shaking in rage. "Get out. You contact me or my brother again and I'll go to the cops."

Pegasus nodded, looking at Croquet. He picked up his wine, nodding to Joey. "I'll leave this with you so you can go over it. Please call when you're ready to talk. I promise full disclosure of all of my sins."

Pegasus left, making sure to go through a different door than Mokuba had before. Kaiba and Joey sat there staring at each other for a minute before Kaiba stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Joey sighed to himself, leaving to go attend to Mokuba. The three boys were still laying in the hallway, not speaking to each other at all. Joey smiled reassuringly at his friends, reaching down to ruffle Mokuba's hair. "Don't worry Mok he's gone. Your brother is going to make sure he can never hurt you again. How about you go get ready for bed?" Joey suggested, trying to smile at the kid.

"Will you stay tonight Joey? I need you here." Joey nodded before pointing up the stairs.

"I'll be up in a minute, you go up first." Mokuba nodded before dashing up the stairs. Joey watched him go before turning towards Bakura with a question.

"Pegasus claims that the memories Mokuba is having are delusions brought on by the Millennium Eye's power. Is there any truth to that?"

Bakura pondered over the question for a moment before answering with a shrug. "It's possible. Mai hallucinated while she was under the Rods power, as did Ryou with the Ring. There are powers that I didn't even know about that the items held."

Joey sighed, feeling exhausted. He thanked them for their offer of a place to stay for the night before telling them that Mokuba had asked him not to leave. He bid good night to the two boys, escorting them outside before running up the stairs himself. By the time he was ready for bed, Mokuba was asleep, curled up in a ball. Joey stared at the boy for a minute, wondering if he should dare.

Mokuba had told him about the branding, begging him not to tell Kaiba. He had refused to show Joey the mark, claiming it was to humiliating. Now, he wondered if Pegasus could be right. Carefully, he peeled away the covers, pulling up Mokuba's shirt and gently rubbing the un-marred skin on his right hip.


	8. Monday

The weekend past quickly, and before anyone knew it, Monday was here and the whole gang was back in school. Yugi and Yami had spent most of their time with Bakura and Ryou, discussing the incident that had happened at the Kaiba Mansion.  
Joey and Mokuba did not contact anyone all weekend, even though their friends had left several messages on both of their phones. Tristan had tried to get in, but security had barred him before he even made it to the fence. He had sulked outside for several minutes before taking off, appearing at Kaiba Corp where he managed to talk his way into Kaiba's office. The CEO assured him that his friend was fine, just unavailable. Tristan left, still annoyed but not knowing what else to do. He spent the rest of the weekend at Dukes, pouting at his boyfriend about his best friend.

Tea was no help, not knowing what else to do but offer her support to whoever needed it. She was at the Game Shop, sitting down and eating breakfast before school with her friends.

"Your grandpa sure makes good food Yugi, I wish I could move in here!" Tea stated, sipping at her tea.

"Well, he's used to making big meals ever since I started hanging out with Joey, and he's always enjoyed cooking." Yugi chuckled, smiling. Yami looked over at his lighter half, sighing.

"Speaking of which, where is Joey? He's always here for breakfast on Monday's before school. Do you guys have any idea where he is?" Yugi and Tea both shook their heads, looking over at the door. The blond was running late, which on any other day would be normal, but today was worrying all of them. The three finished their breakfast silently, cleaning up and thanking Yugi's grandpa before Yugi and Tea went off to school.

They were met on their way by Tristan and Duke, who were bitching to each other on the sidewalk. The two shut up as their friends approached, and the four began the long walk to school.

"So where is Joey anyway?" Duke asked casually, noting the blond was not in their group.

"We didn't hear from him all weekend, I don't even know if he's going to be in school today." Yugi said sadly, looking down at his phone, hoping that his friend had messaged him.

"I wonder how Mokuba is doing, Ryou said he was complete devastated that Pegasus was at his house. That one-eyed freak needs to find a hobby besides tormenting kids." Tea stated, wrapping an arm protectively around Yugi's shoulders.

"I'm not worried about him, between Joey and Kaiba I'm sure that Mokuba is fine. Joey will take care of anything that happens." Yugi said, smiling at his brunette friend. The four continued their walk in silence, pondering the events of the past week. When they finally reached school, Ryou and Bakura were waiting for them at the gate.

"Hey guys." Ryou said weakly, waving at his friends.

"Where's the pharaoh, he think he's too good for an education?" Bakura taunted, looking over at the group.

"He's skipping today, he wanted to do some research on the items at the museum. He's really concerned about Pegasus using magic to manipulate people." Bakura frowned, annoyed that he got stuck at school while Yami got to gallivant around town. Ryou noticed the look on his darker halves face, and decided to head off the yelling.

"Come on Yugi, let's go inside schools about to start." Ryou suggested, grabbing Bakura by the arm and dragging him through the gates. Joey wasn't in homeroom, and a worried Yugi pulled out his phone to quickly text his friend. No response yet again, and now Yugi was super concerned.

Kaiba was absent, so they couldn't ask him, and Yugi was out of options until school was over and he could get over to the mansion. The day crawled by, and Yugi was standing outside waiting for his friend. There were no answers to his messages on his phone, and Yugi knew he would have to go hunt Joey down with the gang's help.

"Hey Yug, did you get an answer from Joey?" Tristan yelled, jogging across the courtyard towards his friend.

"Nothing. I'm thinking we should go over to the Game Shop and get Yami then go over to Kaiba's. This is getting crazy, he needs to be in school." Yugi said firmly, waving at the rest of his friends who had appeared in the courtyard.

XXXXXX

Joey paced the floor of the Game Shop, glancing over at the clock. Mokuba was sitting in the corner, arms wrapped around his legs as he watched Joey.

"Joseph, you need to sit down. All you're doing is wearing yourself out." Solomon said, getting tired from watching the blond walk around in circles.

"I know Gramps, but I'm just nervous." Joey sighed, sinking down in his seat and hugging his legs protectively. Tears were welding in his eyes, and he attempted to blink them back, not wanting his bad memories to resurface. He sat in silence as a customer came in, buying a few packs of Duel Monster cards before quickly leaving. He glanced over at the clock, knowing that school would be out shortly. His only hope was that his friends would be glad to help out.

Minutes passed by, and finally the bell rang again. This time it was Yami, coming back from the museum. He frowned when he saw the two boys in the corner, walking over to them. "Did you go to school today?" He asked, his deep baritone startling the blond. Joey shook his head, attempting a smile as he greeted his friend.

"I had a long weekend Yami. I've got somethings we need to discuss with everyone." Yami nodded, looking him over carefully, noting the stressed look on the blond's face.

"How about we go inside and make some tea while we wait?" Yami suggested, looking over at Solomon who nodded his approval. The boys went inside, setting out tea and snacks and getting into polite chit-chat. Finally, the rest of the gang showed up, Yugi running into the kitchen and wrapping his arms around Joey.

"I've been trying to text you all day! Why weren't you in school? What happened to you guys this weekend?" Yugi asked, his excitement at seeing his friend making his words come out in a jumble. Joey smiled, ruffling Yugi's hair.

"Sorry Yug, we had a really rough time, and I need to talk to you guys about a few things. How about I make some more tea, and you guys can sit down and relax while we talk." Yami helped, and once everyone was settled Joey stood up again. He looked over He sat on the counter, looking over his friends carefully.

"So, here's the deal. Mokuba and I had an emergency meeting with his therapist after Pegasus came over. He is concerned that Mokuba is a danger to himself, and he had him committed Saturday to the Psych ward at Domino Hospital for observation." Tea gasped, covering her mouth to keep the tears from starting. The rest of the gang stood there in shock, not knowing what to say.

"I can't believe Kaiba agreed to that. He must be raising hell right now down there." Tristan whispered, wide-eyed.

Joey shook his head, frowning. "Kaiba didn't. Mokuba's 14, he's old enough to commit himself without his guardians consent. He's only there until tonight, in fact Roland should be picking him up right about now."

"Joey, I'm so sorry." Yugi whispered, attempting to climb up on the counter with his best friend but failing. Joey hopped down, hugging the shorter boy tightly, soon surrounded by all their friends.

"What can we do to help?" Yugi asked, wiping away the tears that had formed in his eyes.

"For starters, you can go down to Kaiba Corp and kick his ass for me, Kaiba hasn't been home since Friday. He's been avoiding all of my calls and texts, and won't even let me into the building right now." Joey said bitterly, fuming silently as his friends exchanged looks. Bakura raised his hand, eager to volunteer for this duty, only to be shot down by Yugi and Ryou, leaving him pouting.

Just then Grandpa came into the kitchen, frowning as he looked at all of the teens in the room. "I take it this meeting has something to do with the phone call I just received?" He asked them, looking over at Joey with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you talking about Grandpa? What phone call?"

"Domino Hospital just called me, apparently Mokuba is refusing to go back home. He wants to come here because he doesn't feel safe after Pegasus was able to breeze in there like that." Grandpa informed the group, grabbing his keys off the counter. "I have to go pick him up and bring him here. Joseph, come with me please. Yugi and Yami, get the store closed up will you?" Yugi nodded, hugging his grandpa quickly before walking back out front. Joey said a quick good bye to everyone before following the old man out the door, a sudden pang in his chest.


	9. Waiting Room

_I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated this story. Basically, my original idea of putting them into therapy together wasn't working, so I scraped it and came up with a new idea. I redid the previous chapters, fixed some grammar issues, and added a little bit to this story. They do not require a re-read, but it wouldn't hurt._

Solomon Moto was a man of many talents. A gifted scholar, one of the top of his class, which turned him into a renowned archeologist, whom people called to travel the world to help them find rare and valuable things. An honest husband, and good father to his son and grandson, fair and patient, his vast worldly knowledge helping out with many problems that had arose during his long life. Most of all, he was known for making wise decisions, and being able to see the reality in front of him and make choices accordingly.

Right now, his first instinct was to protect the blond who was riding next to him, staring out the window. If there was one thing Solomon was sure of, it was his grandson's best friend was in an abusive relationship. Seto Kaiba was not an easy man to begin with, and the stress of dealing with his brother's illness was clearly taking its toll on him.

However, he knew that getting Joey away would mean they would have to distance themselves from Mokuba, and Solomon could not do that to the young boy. Solomon did not want to have another's blood on his hands, not after what had happened with his brother. Shaking his head, he looked over at Joey, who was still staring out the window.

"I want you to stay at our house tonight Joseph. I think Kaiba needs some time to himself right now to figure things out." He told the blond firmly, watching as he squirmed.

"I know Gramps, I just feel bad abandoning him like this… I keep hoping he's going to wake up and realize that there is a problem, but that doesn't seem to be happening does it?" Joey stated softly, sighing to himself.

"You're not abandoning him Joey you're just… giving him some space. I know how much you care about him, but he's got to be willing to meet you somewhere close to the middle. I don't like you coming to my home covered in bruises either." Solomon said sternly, nodding towards Joey's arms. The blond sighed, tugging down his sleeves to cover up marks that had faded from black and blue to a nasty said of yellowish green.

"You don't need to stay with someone who treats you this way Joseph. Take a step back, breath, and give him a chance to wrap his head around what has been going on here. Then you two can talk about where you want things to go." Solomon told him, smiling gently at him. The rest of the car ride was in silence, Joey staring out the window as the scenery passed.

When they finally got to the hospital, Solomon got out first, giving Joey a few minutes to collect himself before they went up. "You'll need to stay in the waiting room while I talk to a few people Joseph. I'll try to make this as quick as possible." Joey nodded, splitting off when they got off the elevator and entering the family waiting room, relieved to find it empty as he sunk down into a chair and sighed.

XXXXXX

Yami hummed to himself as he approached Kaiba Corp, walking through the front door and demanding an audience with Kaiba, Bakura hanging out threateningly at his side. Of course, years of dealing with their boss and his mood swings made security tough to intimidate, but Bakura had an alarmingly charming way of getting what he wanted from people.

As they rode up, Yami crossed his arms, looking over at Bakura who was gently rubbing his fingers on the pocket of his jeans. "I thought I told you to leave that at home- how did you get it pass security anyway?"

Bakura shrugged, not willing to reveal his secrets. "I've gotten much worse past security before, this was a cakewalk." He said, continuing his movements.

Yami rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the other former spirit. The doors dinged and opened, revealing the top floor of Kaiba Corp. Bakura took the lead, knowing exactly where to go from the last time he was there. They approached Kaiba's secretary, who resisted both of their charms to let them past, but relented to letting them sit by her until Kaiba had a moment to speak to them.

"Yea, like that's going to happen." Bakura whispered to Yami before slouching against the wall and folding his arms.

XXXXXX

Hours seemed to pass while Joey didn't move a muscle, just running over everything that had happened to them, wondering silently to himself if he should take Gramps advice and just leave while he had the chance, or try to stick things out with someone who didn't seem to want him around anymore. He barely acknowledged when someone sat down next to him, not looking up until they started talking.

"How are you Joseph? I didn't expect to see you here." Anna said, extending her hand to him. Joey shook it slowly, eyeing the woman next to him.

"Are you taking Mokuba somewhere?" He asked, and Anna shook her head.

"I saw him twice this weekend, and he has made himself clear. He wants to go live with the Moto's for a bit, and Solomon is agreeing to it. My boss was a little bit wary, but given the nature of this case she's agreed to allow it for the time being. I'm just here to make sure there is no problems, which I don't anticipate. I'm not even sure his brother knows what's going on, he hasn't been able to make time for me this weekend." Anna frowned, running her hand down her skirt to smooth out a wrinkle.

"It's not just you, he's not talking to anybody right now." Joey whispered, looking down at his phone in annoyance. "He has a bad way of coping when things get like this unfortunately." He immediately clamped his mouth shut, looking sideways at the woman next to him. "I probably shouldn't have said that, huh."

Anna smiled at him, leaning back in her own seat. "I know enough about the two of you to know things didn't always run smoothly.. I heard stories, I watched a few tournaments, and my younger son is a fan of yours actually. It's been really hard not telling him I've been working with you on this case." Joey beamed at the thought of having a fan, preening himself which caused Anna to laugh.

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to offer a suggestion to you." She said, reaching into her briefcase and pulling out a card before handing it over to Joey. "This is the number to a support group I know. It's for young adults learning how to get healthy relationships after they have been through trauma."

Joey blinked at her, looking down at the business card in his hand. "What makes you think I've been through trauma?" He asked, surprised.

"Joseph, I deal with abused and neglected kid's every day. I can tell when a child has been through something, and when they feel like the system failed them. The way you act around me, how you change your speech and your stance, shows me you've been through this process yourself. I know you're from a single family home, and I take it you weren't left in happy circumstances."

Joey turned away at that, memories of losing his sister and his mother's complete abandonment of him flooding through his mind. Anna placed a hand on his shoulder without a word, letting him collect himself. "I have to go speak to a couple of people. They will be out in a few minutes, and you will be able to take Mokuba home." She promised patting Joey on the shoulder before getting up and leaving him to his thoughts.

XXXXXX

Bakura was about ready to punch a hole in the wall when Kaiba's secretary finally motioned to them, pointing at the CEO's door and telling them they had a few minutes before Kaiba's next appointment. Yami entered first, stopping short as he entered. Bakura stopped to, and Yami knew without even looking at the other man that they both felt the dark energy in the room. "Kaiba?" Yami questioned, looking around apprehensively.

"Well, if it isn't the people's hero Yami. How are you Pharaoh? Cramped up from waiting for me?" Kaiba asked, laughing a little at the two men standing in his office.

"Cut the crap Kaiba, where the hell have you been the past few days? Do you even know where your brother is right now?" Yami asked, his voice deepening in his anger towards the brunet in front of him.

Kaiba laughed, waving a hand to indicate the papers sitting at his desk. "Of course I know. What do you think I've been doing the past few days- figuring out how to keep the board from hearing that the VICE PRESIDENT OF THIS COmpanY sent himself to the looney bin because he can't handle a few nightmares! Do you know what a DISASTER this is going to be?" Kaiba's voice was alternating between laughing and yelling, obviously on the edge of hysterics. Yami motioned with his hands for Bakura to go around the other side of the CEO while he approached him from the front. Kaiba watched the warily, waiting to see what they were going to do to him.

"Kaiba, we know that this is a difficult time for you. We want to help you, but you have to meet us half way. You need to take care of your brother right now, this job is not that important." Yami told him firmly, and Kaiba started laughing.

"My adopted father was right… Mokuba's too weak to carry the Kaiba name… I should have never protected him, maybe then he would have the strength to get over his problems like I did."

Bakura rolled his eyes at Yami, making a face behind Kaiba's back. "Please Kaiba. From what I've seen, he's the only sane one to come out of your messed up situation."

Yami frowned at Bakura, shaking his head violently. "That's enough Bakura. We are not here to antagonize him, we are here to help him."

"What are you going to do? Use your 'powers' to make everything ok again? Go back in time so my parents aren't killed and I am not adopted? 'Save' me from the abuse I suffered and learned how to deal with by myself?" Kaiba taunted, getting into the former pharaoh's face.

Yami pulled back, feeling the darkness and anger that seeped out of Kaiba's soul with every word. The brunet approached him, towering menacing over his rival, reaching out to grab him- only to have Bakura drop him to the floor, unconscious. Yami looked over the CEO with a sigh before looking at his former adversary- "I guess we kept you around for a reason after all huh-" while Bakura just grinned.

XXXXXX

Mokuba was quiet all night, banishing himself to a corner of the Moto's living room where he could see everyone but not be in the center of everything. They gave him space, the rest of the gang quickly leaving once the three came back so Mokuba wouldn't be overwhelmed.

Yami and Bakura had disappeared sometime earlier, which bothered Joey to no end. He knew the two of them were up to something, he just wasn't sure what, and he didn't have the energy to figure it out. Right now, he was needed here, with Mokuba. The blond settled on the couch, having a one-sided conversation with the younger boy before turning on the tv and picking out a movie for them to watch while Anna talked with Grandpa quietly in the kitchen.

Solomon handed the woman a cup of tea, pouring one for himself before settling down at the table. "So, what happens now?" He asked her quietly, motioning with his hand for Yugi to join the other two in the living room.

"Honestly, I don't know. According to the law, a parent has 3 days to object to a minor being admitted. Mokuba was old enough to agree to this treatment, but his brother certainly had the right to object. He hasn't responded to any of my calls or texts, and my attempts to go to his business and talk to him have not worked. If this was any other case, I would declare him an unfit parent and have Mokuba taken away but…." She waved her hand awkwardly, and Solomon understood. The Kaiba name was a powerful one, and the current CEO of the company knew how to use its power to his advantage.

"I'm recommending that Kaiba receive one on one therapy himself before I can safely release his brother back to him- Which I'm sure he will love. I'm also contacting a friend at the police department to find his former board of directors and bring them in for questioning, along with the CEO of Industrial Illusions. Perhaps they can help fill in some of the gaps for us." She said softly, looking towards the living room. Solomon nodded, sighing to himself.

"Well, I should get going and let Mokuba relax a little. He's to stay home from school tomorrow so he's not to overwhelm by things, alright?" Solomon nodded, escorting Anna out of the house and to her car, thanking her again while he watched her drive away.

XXXXXX

Yami looked over Kaiba's unconscious body, arms folded in annoyance. "So what do we do now?" He questioned, looking over at Bakura.

"Tie him up so he doesn't freak out when he wakes up?" Bakura suggested, a glint in his eye. Yami shook his head at the other, sighing.

"Not every problem in the world is solved with gags and handcuffs Bakura." He said gruffly while Bakura snorted.

"So what, you going to 'dig down deep' and use your powers to make him all better? Worked really well before." The white haired man said, crossing his own arms and staring at Yami.

"He needs help, I just wish I knew what to do." The former pharaoh said, closing his eyes and contemplating their options quietly to himself.

"Guess it's up to me to fix this then huh." Bakura said, picking up his phone and dialing a number before Yami could say anything.

XXXXXX

Joey bunkered down with Mokuba that night, sleeping on the floor to give him some space. He'd barely slept himself the past few nights, every time he closed his eyes he kept remembering that awful session with Mokuba's psychiatrist. Seeing the younger boy in such distress had hurt him deeply, and knowing he was the cause… Joey shivered to himself, laying down and closing his eyes, hoping that he would actually get some sleep tonight.

 _I have poured over many articles about voluntary commitments to Psych Wards and minors, and the laws vary based on state and sometimes even county. Therefore, for the purpose of this fic, a minor 13-18 is allowed to commit themselves for a 24 hour hold._

 _Child abuse, or an kind of abuse is not to be taken lightly. If you suspect abuse, or need help, find the number for your local reporting bureau here: .gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction= &rolType=Custom&RS_ID=5 Anybody can report abuse, and one phone call can help a child escape a lifetime of pain._


	10. Broken

_A/N: This chapter talks about what led Mokuba to agree to his Psych hold- possible trigger warnings_

 _Dr. Green approached the Kaiba mansion, steeling himself for the session he was about to have. Mr. Wheeler had called him that morning, quickly telling him that Mokuba's abuser had been at the house, and Mokuba had been up with nightmares all night, each one worse than the last. He had quickly gotten dressed in a sweater and nice jeans, hoping that a more casual approach would make the younger boy feel better. Security let him in, and he was escorted into a small room which looked like a library._

 _"_ _I apologize for the room. Our guest was in the dining room last night, and Joseph didn't want Mokuba to have to go back in there." The guard told him, and Dr. Green quickly assured him that would be alright._

 _"_ _Mokuba is still in bed, but Joseph would like to speak to you about a few things that happened last night before you begin. When you are done, I will bring the young Master along with breakfast." The guard said, bowing to the man before quickly leaving, nodding to Joey as he left._

 _"_ _Thanks for coming Dr., I appreciate it, and I know Mokuba does too." Joey said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Dr. Green took the one opposite, pulling a pen and paper out of his briefcase and settling back, waiting for Joey to begin speaking._

 _T_ _he blond quickly outlined what he knew of what happened last night, including Pegasus's insistence that he had not harmed Mokuba while he was under his care. Dr. Green jotted down a few things, nodding to himself as Joey spoke. Finally, the blond stopped, obviously debating over something._

 _"_ _Is there anything else you would like to tell me Joseph?"_

 _Joey fidgeted for a moment, not knowing if he should say it. "Before Pegasus left, he swore that he never hurt Mokuba. He told me to check his hip and see if there is actually a brand there like Mokuba said… he said that Mokuba could be suffering from delusions. So I did, last night when Mokuba was sleeping, before the nightmares started, and Pegasus was right, there was none."_

 _"_ _Did you say anything to Mokuba about this?" Dr. Green asked, and Joey shook his head._

 _"_ _Didn't know how to say it, and I didn't want to upset him any worse than he already was." Dr. Green nodded, understanding what Joey was saying._

 _"_ _Sometimes confronting someone without context only makes the situation worse- Let me talk to him and see what I can come up with. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"_

 _"_ _Just that Kaiba left last night and hasn't been back since. He won't answer his phone either. I did text him this morning and let him know you were coming, but I didn't hear back yet."_

 _"_ _That's fine, he hasn't been around for most of our sessions anyway. Let's get Mokuba in here, and we can take it from there." Joey nodded, walking out the door to let the guard know it was ok to bring the younger boy down._

 _"_ _I don't know if you have eaten yet, but the cook made pancakes and bacon." Joey told him, handing him a plate, which Dr. Green accepted. "There's no table in here, and apparently Kaiba doesn't believe in TV trays, so we will have to improvise. " Joey said, sitting down carefully in his chair with his own plate. Mokuba came in with the guard then, carrying his own plate and sitting down as close to Joey as he could. The guard bent over to whisper something to the blond, who frowned and nodded, patting Mokuba reassuringly on the arm._

 _Dr. Green observed his client while eating his breakfast. It actually was a smart idea on Joey's part- Mokuba was so busy pretending to eat that he didn't notice how closely he was being watched, and it allowed Dr. Green to take stock of his client's appearance and plan how he was going to approach what happened last night. Mokuba was clearly worn out, his face was drawn and he was shaking as he attempted to keep himself upright. Dr. Green placed his plate aside, getting up and crouching down in front of the teenager._

 _"_ _Mokuba, can we talk about what happened last night." Mokuba nodded slowly, allowing the psychiatrist to take his plate away. Joey stood up to leave, but barely took a step before the raven haired boy had his arm, begging him not to go._

 _"_ _I'll tell you what Mokuba, I will let Joseph stay here with us, but you will have to answer my questions openly and honestly, ok?" Mokuba nodded, smiling in relief as Joey sat back down. "Now, we've been avoiding this topic, but it's time we discuss it. Let's start from the beginning- when is the first time you remember meeting Pegasus?"_

 _Mokuba flinched at the name, looking at Joey for confirmation he was alright. "It was at a party that my adopted father brought us to. Pegasus was throwing it for some charity event, and he had invited all of his business partners and their children. He was really interested in meeting Seto- he had heard somehow about my brother's Duel Monsters obsession and wanted to discuss the game with him. They talked for what seemed like hours-"He broke off then, looking around rapidly._

 _Dr. Green let him go for a moment, before gently prodding him "Mokuba, are you alright?"_

 _"_ _I thought I heard him. He was here last night you know… sitting at our table, telling my brother lies about me! He's just trying to get me away from Seto- he wants me all to himself, he told me so!" Mokuba started to cry, and Joey went to hold him, but the Dr. stopped him._

 _"_ _When did you see him Mokuba?"_

 _"_ _Last night, when I was in bed- he was pacing around outside my door, waiting for me to go to sleep so he could take me! He's got this weird way of walking- slow and assured, as if the world belongs to him. Then he was behind the stairwell this morning when I came down- I could smell his cologne, and when I turned around he waved at me."_

 _Mokuba stopped, shaking all over. He tried to get out of his chair, but Dr. Green gently got him to sit back down. "Ok Mokuba, did he say anything to you when you saw him this morning?"_

 _Mokuba shook his head, unable to speak. Dr. Green continued "What was he wearing when you saw him?"_

 _"_ _His red jacket suit, with the high frilly collar. He wears that all the time, makes him look even crazier than he already is. He had on giant pink bunny ears, and was hopping up and down, wanting me to come play with him."_

 _"_ _Why did he have on giant pink bunny ears?"_

 _"_ _Because his favorite show is a cartoon- it has a pink bunny."_

 _"_ _Mokuba, tell me again about the first time you met Pegasus."_

 _"_ _My adopted father was throwing a 'protégé' party at the house- he would invite over wealthy people to show off Seto and I. Sometimes he would have Seto play people in chess, or have me play the piano- I used to have lessons almost every day, I really enjoyed it. Sometimes Seto would even join me, but of course he was better than I was since his fingers were longer and he could hit the keys. I remember this one time he played a piece, and he got it perfect, and I was so proud of him but Gozaburo complained his tempo was off so he made him play it again and again until he was satisfied. Then he-"Mokuba stopped then, blinking. He took several deep breaths, trying to catch his breath from talking so fast._

 _"_ _I don't remember what happened next, just that Seto didn't come down for dinner that night, and Gozaburo let me have ice cream for dessert."_

 _"_ _That was really nice of him Mokuba, I'm sure you enjoyed having that treat. Now, you were telling me about the first time you met Pegasus."_

 _"_ _It was at a Duel Monsters tournament, right after Gozaburo died. Seto had just been named the reigning champion, and Pegasus was on stage giving him some trophy. When they were done, Pegasus came over and introduced himself to me and gave me a card that he said was lucky. He wished me good luck with everything and left."_

 _"_ _That sounds like it was a lot of fun- I know how much Duel Monsters means to your brother, it must have been nice to have someone recognize his skills like that."_

 _Mokuba nodded, unconsciously reaching up to tug at his hair. "That was the first time I saw Seto smile after Gozaburo died. He was so proud of himself, he spent all his time and energy worrying about playing Duel Monsters, learning how best to beat each type of deck. He never lost a game until-"_

 _"_ _Until when Mokuba."_

 _"_ _Until Yugi beat him. That was the night he changed, the night everything changed."_

 _"_ _What changed Mokuba?"_

 _"_ _The zoo. They pulled out the pandas after one of them got sick. They were always my favorite part… I was so sad when we went there on a trip and they were gone, but Seto bought me ice cream and I felt better."_

 _Joey watched silently, blinking back tears as Mokuba continued to ramble, waving his hands around erratically. Suddenly the young boy stopped, hunching over and grabbing himself as if he was in pain._

 _"_ _What's wrong Mokuba?"_

 _"_ _It hurts so bad, I can feel it happening right now…"_

 _"_ _What does?"_

 _"_ _My mark, he marked me with that eye of his so he would know where I was and who I belonged to… I was bad, I didn't listen I'm sorry I'll be good…"_

 _"_ _Tell me what he's doing to you."_

 _Mokuba slid out of the chair, crawling on the floor towards the corner where he curled up in fear, yanking on his hair.. "He's going to get me- he knows where I am, he's coming for me, he's right outside the door, I can hear his footsteps-"_

 _Dr. Green turned towards Joey. "Open the door, he needs to see there's no one there." Joey jumped up, quickly opening the door and standing aside._

 _"_ _Mokuba, there's no one there. You're safe here, do you want to see?"_

 _Mokuba shook his head, cowering in the corner._

 _"_ _Hey Mokuba, you know I wouldn't let anyone hurt you right? You trust me, right? There's no one here, I promise. Come see." Joey said, struggling to keep his voice even through his tears._

 _Dr. Green crouched down next to Mokuba, whispering to him. The young boy allowed him to sit next to him in the corner but refused to move. The older man locked eyes with Joey, motioning him to Mokuba's other side._

 _"_ _Now Mokuba, can we look at your hip? I want to make sure it's not infected since its hurting you so much… Joey's here, he's going to hold your hand while I look, is that ok?" Mokuba nodded, grabbing onto Joey's hand while Dr. Green slid down his shorts slightly. Sure enough, there was nothing there, like Joey had said. "I don't see it Mokuba. Can you show me where it's hurting you?" The boy nodded, pulling down the one side of his shorts to expose his mark._

 _"_ _I don't see anything Mokuba, can you point to it?" Mokuba nodded, shakily touching his side only to feel nothing wrong._

 _"_ _It disappeared again, didn't it?" He said flatly, the change from crying child to emotionless teenager so quick it almost gave Joey whiplash. "It always does that, it doesn't like to be touch." He pulled himself off of the ground, pushing past the two adults and grabbing a fork off of one of the plates, lifting it in the arm, intent on jabbing it into his hip and pulling out the device himself before Joey tackled him._

 _Dr. Green sat down next to Mokuba, whispering soothingly to him. The guard outside poked his head in, hearing Mokuba's sobs and was quickly motioned over, holding onto Mokuba while Dr. Green grabbed Joey and pulled him away. "We need to take him to the emergency room. He's suffering from a psychotic episode, and right now he's a danger to himself and others. I'm sorry Joey."_

 _XXXXXX_

 _The hours sitting in the ER did nothing to calm Joey's nerves. He tried multiple times to get in touch with his boyfriend, but the CEO was too busy to answer the phone. He did send Roland, the loyal security guard brought to almost tears when he saw how sad and defeated his younger charge looked. He collected himself, pulling out a notebook and asking questions, giving Joey a chance to leave the room and give himself a break._

 _Finally, the doctor was done filling out the paperwork, giving Mokuba 2 options: Going home, or agreeing to a 24 hour psych hold. Mokuba agreed to the later, having calm down enough to realize what he had been about to do. He hugged Joey, begged him to bring his brother to him, and cried as the doors to the facility closed behind him, separating him from everyone he knew._

 _Dr. Green, who had been in and out of the facility the whole time, placed a hand on Joey's shoulder. "He made the right decision. He needs help Joseph, and we are going to figure this out, I promise."_

 _The blond duelist could do nothing but stare at the pile of raven-colored hair in his hand that Mokuba had pulled out of his own head during their struggle._


	11. Day One

Roland waltzed into the room as if he had been waiting outside for a signal. Without a word, he picked up his unconscious boss and left, indicating for the two former spirits to follow him to a back elevator, which lead to a back door where Kaiba's limo was parked. Roland gently eased the lanky teenager into the back seat, stepping aside to let Yami and Bakura enter before shutting the door. He slid into the driver's seat, putting on his shades before pulling out, weaving through traffic to bring his boss and guests to the Kaiba Mansion.

Yami watched the scenery go by, looking over at Bakura with raised eyebrows. "Do I want to know what is going on here?" Bakura just grinned, pulling out his knife and licking it, ignoring the former monarch while he eyed Kaiba.

Sighing to himself, Yami leaned forward, tapping on the glass divider and waiting. It slid down, revealing both of Kaiba's bodyguards, Fuguta turning and raising an eyebrow at him. "Would somebody care to explain to me what is going on?" The two men shared a glance, neither speaking. Yami threw his hands up in the air, wincing as they smacked into the ceiling. He turned and sat back down, pouting to himself while Bakura just laughed.

XXXXXX

The next morning dawned bright and sunny, and as the boys at the Moto house woke up, they couldn't help but wonder at the cruel irony of a beautiful day after what they had been through. Joey was up first, slightly surprised that he hadn't been woken up by Mokuba's screams. The raven-haired boy looked peaceful enough, jammed up against the wall wrapped in his blankets. Joey stretched, feeling his back crack as he attempted to move it. Not wanting to wake up his roommate, he tiptoed out, creeping downstairs to start breakfast.

Grandpa came downstairs shortly after, stretching and yawning himself. "Good morning Joseph. I hope you slept ok."

"I actually did get a little sleep last night Gramps thanks. More importantly, I think Mokuba did too. He looked pretty comfortable when I left the room this morning." Joey smiled, looking into the fridge to see what he could cook.

"Joseph, we need to talk about what is going to happen next." Grandpa said, settling down on a barstool, folding his hands and placing them on the counter.

"I know Gramps, but I'm just not ready to deal with this right now." Joey said softly, looking down at the eggs in his hands.

"I understand that, but there are things that will be happening quickly, and we need to prepare for them. First, Anna is going to court tomorrow about temporary custody. They believe that Kaiba is unable to deal with Mokuba's issues, and they want him removed as Mokuba's guardian." Joey winced, knowing that was coming.

"Second, we need to figure out how to get Mokuba's stuff out of the mansion. You know Kaiba's security better than anyone, is there someone we can trust to take care of this?"

"I'll contact Roland, he can help us out. We can go pack a few things while Kaiba's at work or something so hopefully there will be no issues."

Grandpa watched the blond for a minute, not wanting to bring up his final point. "Have you given any more thought to what we discussed before Joseph?"

Joey didn't answer, concentrating on cutting up the peppers and onions for an omelet. Grandpa waiting, not wanting to back down on this issue. The kitchen was silent except for the sounds of breakfast making until Yugi walked into the room, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Have either one of you seen Yami?" He asked, smiling at his Grandpa before sitting down next to him.

"Nah Yug', come to think of it, I haven't seen him since last night." Joey said, relieved for the interruption.

Yugi frowned, looking down at his phone. "Ryou texted me… he said Bakura wasn't home last night when he got back, and he's not there now…. He wanted to know if we saw him, I told him no."

"Great, just what we need, two crazy spirits on the loose… cause things aren't bad enough around here right now." Joey complained, scraping the omelet out of the pan and handing it off to Grandpa. The old man smiled, digging into his breakfast happily.

"I wonder where they could be?" Yugi muttered to himself, texting Ryou back.

XXXXXX

The Pharaoh and the Tomb Robber woke up to the sounds of phones going off all around them. Yami opened his eyes first, attempting to get up only to find himself blocked by a pile of white hair in his lap. He couldn't help but laugh, causing Bakura to wake up with a start, jumping up so quick that he almost smacked Yami right in the face.

"What's so funny Pharaoh?"

"Just never realized how snuggly you are Bakura, you're like a big, fluffy bunny." Yami teased, tensing slightly as Bakura went for his knife, only to come up short.

Yami laughed again, getting up himself. "I take it we fell asleep last night during our vigil." He said, pointing at the bed where Kaiba was still knocked out. "So what do we do now?"

"This." Bakura said, walking over to the brunet and slapping him across the face. Kaiba's eyes snapped opened, and he growled, staring at the two men in his room as if he would murder them with his own two hands.

"Bakura! Did you really have to hit him like that?" Yami yelled, glaring at him.

"Nope, but it sure was fun." Bakura smiled settling down on the bed next to Kaiba. The brunet glared, attempting to sit up only to find he was chained to the bed. "Now, now, Kaiba, just calm down. Getting upset is not going to help you right now."

Kaiba continued to glared, refusing to give in to whatever game Yami and Bakura were attempting to play with his mind. Bakura grinned even more, leaning down to stare at the brunet menacingly.

"All right Bakura, that's enough. Get off him now." Yami said, pulling the other man back.

"What's the matter Pharaoh? I'm just having a little bit of fun with him." Bakura said, pouting.

"This is not helping right now, so why don't you tell me the plan so we can get this moving?" Yami said, not releasing his hold on Bakura.

"Fine. Get somebody in here to get him dressed, and I'll explain what we are doing." The white-haired former spirit muttered, crossing his arms and huffing.

Yami pulled both of them off the bed, yanking Bakura towards the door. He opened it, looking to see that Fuguta was sitting in a chair across the hall. He motioned the taller man in, pulling Bakura out of the room and glaring at him. "So?"

Bakura shrugged, shaking Yami's hand off his shirt. "Mokuba's therapist is coming to talk to Kaiba along with his case worker. They're going to recommend that the courts give custody of Mokuba to Yugi's grandfather pending a hearing. They're going to argue that Kaiba is incompetent due to his work issues, and that he doesn't have the time to deal with Mokuba's needs."

"That's going to kill him." Yami whispered, turning and looking at the door.

"I know." Bakura said, shaking his head. "He has to deal with it though. That's why we are here, for support."

Yami sighed, looking over at Bakura. "You know, there was a time where the last thing you would do would be help someone."

"Yea, well, that was part of the deal I made to get back over here remember? Sin atonement, I hurt Mokuba and Kaiba, so now I have to help them. Yippee for me." Bakura said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"So what is our plan then Bakura?" Yami asked him, arching an eyebrow.

"Just be here. He's losing his brother, his stray ran away… we need to be ready for whatever the backlash is."

"Joey is not a dog Bakura."

"Really? From the way Kaiba's been wearing those turtle-neck sweaters, I'd say he bites like one."

Yami shook his head at Bakura, looking over at the opening door as Kaiba and Fuguta appeared. "Your presence is requested in the dining room gentlemen, if you would follow me." Fuguta said to them, leading his employer down the stairs, the two former spirits trailing behind him.

XXXXXX

Yugi almost jumped out of his skin when Roland came up behind them and greeted the group, crossing his arms and leaning casually against the counter. "I forgot you were here last night Roland. How was the couch?" He asked, placing a hand over his heart and trying to calm down.

The body guard frown, unconsciously rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the ache. "I didn't sleep much, I was up most of the night coordinating with the staff at the mansion. I'll be heading out there shortly to help with Mr. Kaiba, he has a meeting planned at 10." He turned back to Yugi, attempting to smile at the boy to calm him. "Bakura and Yami wanted me to let you know they are at the house. They helped me transport Mr. Kaiba home, and are going to assist us with the meeting."

"I should have figured that's where they went." Yugi muttered, nodding at Roland. "Thank you for letting me know, I'll tell Ryou."

"Hey Yug, you wanna go get Mokuba? I don't want him freaking out that none of us are here when he decides to wake up." Joey asked as he handed Roland a plate. "I'll have his breakfast ready in a minute."

Yugi nodded, walking quietly up the stairs and knocking on the guest bedroom door. Opening it gently, he saw Mokuba, fully awake and staring out the window. "How are you feeling?" He asked, sitting next to the younger boy on the bed.

"It's so weird waking up here… I'm not used to being crammed into a room with someone anymore, feels like I'm back at the orphanage." Mokuba admitted, hugging his knees to his chest.

"I get that. You have a lot of space to rattle around in at the mansion."

"Yea I do, but at the same time… I never really felt safe there. All the bad memories, the bad things that happened there… I wish Seto would sell it, but he doesn't want to admit he can't live there either." Mokuba said, sighing.

Yugi hummed to himself, leaning back against the wall. "Hey Mokuba, I know it's been awhile, but I'm sorry we weren't able to save you from Pegasus. We should have kept more of an eye on you during that duel and stopped Kemo from capturing you. I was so worried about saving Grandpa, that I didn't see how bad things were for you and your brother."

Mokuba was silent, not knowing how to answer. Finally Yugi patted him on the arm awkwardly, sliding off the bed. "Joey's making breakfast, then we have to get ready for school. It's just going to be you and Grandpa today, he thought you might like helping out at the store." Mokuba nodded, following Yugi out of the room and shutting the door behind him.

XXXXXX

Bakura leaned back into his chair, looking over at Yami before staring at the wall in front of him. Kaiba had taken the news about his brother surprisingly mellow, signing all of the paperwork placed in front of him without so much as a complaint.

Once the paperwork was done, Anna collected it and placed it into her briefcase. "Now Mr. Kaiba, I understand that this is a difficult time for you and your brother. We are trying to keep this under wraps as much as possible because we are concerned about the stress a media circus would have on your brother. Since you have no objections to our course of action, a court date is not needed at this time. I will work out a schedule with Roland for us to meet and go from there. Is that satisfactory for you?" Kaiba nodded, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Now, Dr. Green is free and able to help you with the mandating counseling sessions. If you would rather go with another psychologist, they must be approved before they will count towards your total. If you have any questions, please feel free to call. Mr. Moto is willing to work with you to schedule your visitation with your brother within reason, but if there is any issues please let me know." Kaiba nodded again, still tapping.

Anna sighed to herself, gathering her things and standing. "Mr. Kaiba, please remember that we are all here to help you and your brother. The more you cooperate, the better off both of you will be. Now, if you will excuse me, I have another appointment." She nodded at the two boys next to Kaiba before leaving the room with Fuguta quietly.

Dr. Green watched Kaiba for a few minutes, noticing how tense the young man was. "I have some time right now Mr. Kaiba if you would like to have your first session here."

"What I would like is to go back to my office. I have wasted half a day already, and I am already behind because of this nonsense." Kaiba told him stiffly, standing up himself. "My secretary will contact you by the end of the day tomorrow to schedule an appointment- I trust with what I pay you that you will be willing accommodate me."

Dr. Green nodded. "Just as long as it doesn't interfere with my other patients, I will be happy too. I look forward to your call Mr. Kaiba." He said, standing up and holding out his hand, which Kaiba ignored, turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

Yami sighed, shaking his head. Dr. Green studied him for a minute, a question dancing on his lips. Finally he decided to just go for it. "So, which one of you two is the Pharaoh, and which one is the Tomb Robber?"

XXXXXX

Mokuba picked up a box for Yugi's grandpa, amazed at how heavy it was. "I didn't know cards weighed so much." He commented, and Grandpa laughed.

"My boy, you'd be surprised how much weight can be in one small box. Just depends on who is packing. Now, how about I show you how to check in this shipment? Yugi used to do that for me when he was your age, he always liked being able to see the new stuff first!"

Mokuba nodded, following the older man's instructions. It was almost like Christmas, cutting into each box and pulling out a wide assortment of games and toys. "I didn't realize that you carried so much stuff here Mr. Moto. I though you just did Duel Monsters."

Grandpa winked at him and smiled. "I know that this might seem strange to you, but people do play other games sometimes Mokuba." They both laughed at that, thinking back through the years where Duel Monsters had been everything to them. The phone rang then, and he picked up, indicating with his finger for Mokuba to be quiet.

"Hello, Game Shop… oh hello Anna how did it go…. Ok yes he is fine…. No I haven't heard from them yet… yes I will call you if I do…. He is…. Alright…. Are you sure…. Ok I will talk to him…. Yes thank you Anna goodbye." Grandpa hung up the phone, sighing before turning to Mokuba.

"That was Anna, she just left your brother and everything went fine. He agreed to let you stay here for a bit, so that's taken care of." Mokuba nodded in relief.

"She also said that she spoke to an associate of Pegasus's, who had agreed to come in for an interview. He asked for a chance to speak to you, but he is leaving it entirely up to you if he does." Mokuba shook his head, backing away with his hands up in the air.

"I'm not ready for that Mr. Moto. Don't let him see me please."

"Of course not Mokuba, he won't get near you unless you're ok with it I promise." Grandpa said, wrapping his arms around the trembling teen.


	12. Kaiba therapy 1

A/N: This is the first of Kaiba's therapy sessions with Dr. Green. I had a hard time splitting this up so it wasn't just Kaiba talking the whole time, so the parts in italics are Kaiba talking about his childhood memories. I think that makes this fic flow better, but if it's bothering people let me know. This chapter does talk about how their parents died, just as a warning

Dr. Green sat outside Kaiba's office, talking quietly with his secretary. He had a planned meeting with Kaiba, who was currently inside his office refusing to answer the phone. It had been almost 2 weeks since Mokuba moved into the Moto's, and Kaiba had been avoiding his calls ever since. Finally, he had contacted Kaiba's bodyguard Roland, who was able to move around his boss's schedule to fit in the doctor.

Finally, the door opened, and the CEO walked out, white coat flaring around him as he made one of his signature entrances. Dr. Green couldn't help but roll his eyes as he watched Kaiba, unimpressed with him. The brunet stopped at his secretary's desk, bending down to whisper something in her ear before straightening up to look at his guest.

"Let's get this over with." He muttered, motioning for the other man to follow him. They entered another office, Kaiba locking the door while Dr. Green settled down into a chair. Kaiba took another one, leaning back with his fingertips pressed together and staring at the older man.

Dr. Green straightened up, annoyed that he was allowing himself to be intimidated by his client. "I appreciate you finally making time for me Mr. Kaiba. This is the first of our four sessions that were agreed upon by you. I'd like to spend this first session just getting to know you a little bit, if that's ok with you." Kaiba nodded slightly, leaning back in his chair. "How about we start with your childhood before the orphanage. What was your life like back then?"

Kaiba hesitated for a second, his eyes darting around the room briefly before they landed on the Dr. again. "It was pretty much a normal childhood. I prefer not to dwell on it actually."

"I understand that, but often the things that bother us the most are during 'normal' times. Certainly there is something that you could tell me about then… what about your parents? Mokuba doesn't really remember them so I would appreciate anything you could tell me."

Kaiba scoffed at that, folding his arms and staring out the window. "He wouldn't would he. Fine, I'll tell you about them." He cleared his throat, leaning forward and staring at Dr. Green intently.

 _"My parents were never happier than when my mother was pregnant with Mokuba. They both wanted a big family, a bunch of kids that could rely on each other throughout their lives. They had a hard time conceiving me, and my mother took a long time to get pregnant again afterwards. I remember being 3, and sitting outside the bathroom door while my mother cried over another failed pregnancy test. When she finally opened the door, she hugged me, telling me how lucky she was and how special I was going to be._

 _By the time she gave birth, I was 5. I had started kindergarten that year at a fancy prep school and they were talking about me skipping a grade. I would come home, do my homework, and wait for one of my parents to have time for me. Mokuba was a sickly baby, colicky and cranky, and he would cry for hours. Sometimes I would go into his room and stare at him, wondering how he could do nothing but cry, or how my parent's lives seemed to revolve around him."_

Kaiba stopped, blinking several times at the sudden welling of emotion he had. It had been a long time since he had thought about his parents, and looking back at his memories of them dug up some long held bad feelings. "It can be rough being the oldest, certainly more so when you had so much time with your parents to yourself, coupled with rough pregnancies and the fear of losing your mom can be tough on a kid. It's ok that you resented him a little, getting used to change takes time. How long did it take you?"

Kaiba shrugged before continuing.

 _"One day when Mokuba was almost two, I came home from school after a particularly hard day. It was the first day back after summer break, which for most people would be a time to catch up with friends and goof around, except at my school. Top tier students don't have much time for fun, but they do enjoy jumping on each other._  
 _One of the kids at school liked picking on me because of how smart I was, and because he knew how much money my parents had. He gave me a black eye, and I was too afraid to fight back. I walked in the house, worried about what my parents would say. Dad was at work, and mom was napping on the couch._  
 _Mokuba was sitting by her, looking at a book. He looked up when I walked into the room, and his whole face lit up. He ran for me as fast as he could, almost knocking me over when he went for a hug. Once he was done, he looked up at my face and saw that I was hurt._  
 _I know he really didn't understand what had happened to me, but at that moment it felt like he did. He reached up to kiss my boo-boo, and that's the moment when I understood why my parents wanted so desperately to have another child- they wanted someone who would care about me and love me no matter what, even when they weren't around."_

Kaiba stopped again, drumming his fingers on his knee. Dr. Green stayed silent, knowing that he was stalling to keep from talking about what was quickly approaching- the death of their parents. He knew very little about what happened, only that Mokuba was a toddler. The younger Kaiba refused to talk about it, and he was debating how much he should push Kaiba when the brunet started talking again.

 _"When Mokuba was 3, our parents left us at home with the neighbor while they went out on a date. It was a normal day, nothing weird that would predict how the end of it would turn out. The knock came as I was finishing my homework- a state trooper at the door with the news._

 _A deer jumped out in front of my parents, and my dad had been unable to stop in time. He swerved, and they went into the highway divider, killing both of them instantly. Later on, when they looked at the car, they found a ball of Mokuba's that had somehow gotten lodged behind the brake, keeping it from being pressed._

 _I found this out after the funeral- there was an investigation because of our inheritance to make sure it was truly an accident. Once that was cleared up relatives on both sides swooped in to proclaim their love for us- just as long as it came with the money._

 _Once that was in their hands, Mokuba and I were dumped off at the orphanage before the ink was even dry on the paperwork. We held hands outside the building, and I vowed that day to protect Mokuba with everything I had._

 _Rumors spread quick in an orphanage, and when the kids found out how our parents died, they would use that information to torment Mokuba- every time we went on a trip somewhere, one of the older boys would grab him and attempt to shake him, saying he wanted to make sure Mokuba didn't have anything in his pockets that would kill them. Mokuba started having nightmares, the memories of our parents fading and being replaced by images of them blaming him for the accident. I tried to protect him, but I couldn't be there all the time, and I spent much of my time plotting our escape._

 _It came in the form of Gozaburo Kaiba, one of the richest men in the world, and the owner of Kaiba Corp, which was then a weapons disrupter for various countries. I had seen him on the news, watching as he won a chess tournament and donated the funds to the orphanage I was at. My strategy was easy-I was already a chess protégé, now I would memorize his moves so I could beat him at his own game._

 _He come several months later in the form of a photo op- Kaiba Corp had suffered from some bad publicity, and his board had suggested he try to soften up his image. As he was walking out the door, I challenged him to a game, much to the chagrin of the staff. He agreed to my terms, laughing about a small child defeating him in his game._

 _It didn't take long for him to realize that I had memorized his moves and the counters, but before he was able to come up with a different strategy, I defeated him. Impressed, he held up his end of the bargain, adopting me, taking Mokuba along with us. I thought I had done it, I thought I had actually saved us. Then the accident happened."_

Kaiba stopped again, getting up and pacing around the room. Dr. Green watched him intently, stopping only to write down a few notes for his timeline. "Mr. Kaiba, did you ever meet your adopted brother? He was about your age if I am not mistaken." Kaiba shook his head, huffing to himself.

"Gozaburo originally wanted me to be Noah's rival, stating that Noah and I would compete for control of Kaiba Corp. Noah got so upset he ran out of the house, getting hit by a car in the process. He ended up being declared brain dead, and Gozaburo used some sort of technology to keep his mind alive while having a funeral for him at the same time. This was while the paperwork for our adoption was going through."

Dr. Green nodded, adding that information to his sheet also. "Do you mind telling me about your life after the adoption? What was Gozaburo like?"

 _"Being the adopted son of a multi-billionaire has its definite drawbacks. Gozaburo gave Mokuba and I some time to get adjusted to our new lives, but it didn't take long for him to get frustrated with our lack of progress._

 _The abuse started quickly after the adoption. I had been far ahead at school, but being at the orphanage with their limited resources I quickly fell behind. Gozaburo had found my old school records and was impressed with my scores, and wanted me to get back to that level as soon as possible, no matter what the cost._

 _I would spend hours after school pouring over textbooks, often only sleeping a few hours a night. Multiple teachers raised concerns about me, only to be silenced when the Kaiba money came into play. The few who didn't take the money were quickly dealt with, leaving no one to defend me._

 _His butler Hopson was a spy who took great pleasure in getting me in trouble, often exaggerating things if he felt I deserved a punishment. Mokuba was my last shred of humanity, the only person who cared about me._

 _Gozaburo doted on Mokuba, playing with him and giving him treats while I was forced to stay in my room and study. He was affectionate- ruffling Mokuba's hair, teasing him about friends at school, and generally being a good parent. Meanwhile, I would often avoid seeing my brother for days at a time- I didn't want him to see the bruises and marks on my body from Gozaburo's belt._

 _T_ _he man was careful not to hit my face or hands, lest he leave a scar that would show up on camera, but nowhere else was off limits. Every time he was done, I would tend my wounds, imaging the day that Gozaburo would pay._

 _He knew my weakness was Mokuba, and he played that card perfectly-until the day I realized what his game was. He had given me a loan, a million dollars to turn into 10 so he could see how my business mind worked. I did it in a day, placing the briefcase of money in front of him, watching his greedy eyes light up as he counted it. That was the only time he told me he was proud of me, for being a ruthless business man just like him._

 _That day I knew I had to overthrow him, and take Kaiba Corp for myself. Mokuba helped me, I manipulated the Kaiba Corp board of directors, The Big 5, to help, and plotted my take over. Of course, I had to humiliate Gozaburo at the same time, and I did that by taking advantage of my brother, accusing him of telling our adopted father my plans. Of course he ran right to the man, years of Gozaburo's conditioning training him to do just that. Then came my moment of glory- waltzing into the board room to announce my takeover of the company- with Mokuba's shares sealing the deal._  
 _I stood over my adopted father as he stewed silently in his seat, smiling at him. Finally, he looked at me, standing up and reaching over to shake my hand. "I must say Seto I am impressed with you. All my hard work paid off, too bad you won't be able to enjoy it."_  
 _With that he grabbed Mokuba and ran from the room. I took off after them, chasing him down a long hallway. Mokuba stumbled at some point, and Gozaburo picked him up by his neck, staring at me. "You have a decision to make Seto- him or this company. Which one will it be?" Mokuba had already gone limp, so he didn't see my hesitation to answer._

 _Suddenly, it didn't matter- Gozaburo was shot and killed by one of his own security guards who had a young son Mokuba's age. As he laid there bleeding out on the floor I couldn't move- all I could do was stare at him. The people around me assumed I was in shock, and they gently guided me away from the body, one of them picking up Mokuba to get him away from the blood soaking the floor._

 _Mokuba spent two nights at the hospital- I wanted to be at Kaiba Corp helping with the PR nightmare, but Roland, who had been by my side since the adoption, convinced me it would be in my best interests to stay by Mokuba. He, along with everyone else, thought I was trying to deny what happened. Only I knew the truth- I didn't run after Gozaburo to save my brother, I ran after him to save my asset._

 _Mokuba was the key to my victory, and if my adopted father had control of him, I would lose control of Kaiba Corp right after gaining it. As I watched Mokuba sleep that night, I finally admitted to myself what I had known for a long time- no price was too high for my victory, even my little brother's life._

 _T_ _he next few years went by in a blur- I took over Kaiba Corp and redirected its resources to Duel Monsters, got custody of Mokuba, and was forced to go to school by the courts. I became known as a ruthless businessman- the older CEO's who had been in the game forever weren't able to keep up with me. I bent Kaiba Corp to my will, turning it into the company it is today. People would quake with fear when I came into a room, worried about displeasing me._

 _I barely spent time with Mokuba during those years- often regulating his care to a bodyguard or two while he was in school, and the maid when he was at home. Every so often, he would burst into my office, begging me to join him and do something._

 _Often I would ignore him, too busy for my own good, leaving him up to his own devices. He started getting into trouble in school, which my security quickly squashed. Finally, I got fed up with the phone calls, and I deal with the issue the only way I knew how- by reminding Mokuba where his loyalties were, and what his behavior was damaging."_

Kaiba stopped for a moment and leaned back, lost in the memory of a discussion he had had with his little brother so long ago. Dr. Green gave him a moment, looking down at his watch to check the time. "I appreciate you telling me all of this Mr. Kaiba, it helps a lot. Now, I know you're busy, so I don't want to keep you any later than our scheduled time. Would you like to continue, or should be stop here for today."

The brunet eyed his own watch, pondering the question. "Perhaps we should stop here. I have a meeting I need to prepare for anyway."

Dr. Green nodded, capping his pen and putting it away before standing up and extending his hand. "Thank you for making our meeting today Mr. Kaiba. I will talk to your brother's social worker and tell her that she can start setting up visitations with him if that is alright with you."

Kaiba nodded, and Dr. Green continued. "I know you don't want me here, but I just want to leave you with a thought- after what you and your brother went through, resentment and anger are understandable. It is ok to get angry with your brother, you sacrificed a lot to protect him. However, next time you find yourself shutting down when he is showing some sort of emotion remind yourself of one thing- Gozaburo shaped your past, don't let his image destroy your future."

A blank stare from his client was his only answer, and Dr. Green sighed internally. Only time would tell if Kaiba would actually benefit from these sessions, so for today all he could do was hand the man another business card and remind him to call if he ever need to call. "I will see you next week Mr. Kaiba, thank you again for seeing me." Kaiba continued his silence, staring down at the card while Dr. Green left the room.


	13. Moving On

Joey shifted around in his seat, trying to find a comfortable spot. Tomorrow was Mokuba's first visitation with his brother, and the blond was not looking forward to seeing his ex-boyfriend.

Actually, he wasn't sure if Kaiba even knew they were broken up, he had never gotten a response to the several text messages he had sent about talking, and when he had shown up at Kaiba Corp, he was turned away at Kaiba's door. He had gone to the mansion last weekend, packing up the few things he had kept there and brought them to Yugi's, but there was still no comment from Kaiba.

Honestly, Joey didn't even know if the man had been home, none of the staff had seen him for days, and the maid had dropped off several suits to him at the office. Yugi and Yami had both tried to reach out to the CEO, but he had avoided all of their phone calls, and had added extra security to keep Bakura from getting back into his office.

For now, there was nothing any of them could do except wait, and Joey was not good at that at all. Instead, he turned his attention to the other Kaiba brother, hoping to see the raven-haired boy thrive, and he did.

Even in the short time he had been at the Moto's, Mokuba's nightmares had gone way down. He was talking more in school, acting more like his old self which thrilled his teachers. He even helped out around the shop, cleaning up and helping Yugi's Grandpa sort out the various games and cards that came in.

Solomon was thrilled, and even joked that Mokuba did more to earn his keep than the three older boys, which in turn got Yugi, Yami and Joey pitching in around the shop while the old man sat back and chuckled to himself.

There had been several bad days, which had made Joey reconsider his next big decision, moving in with Ryou and Bakura. The Moto house was too small for 5 people, but when Joey brought up moving out, everyone had freaked.

Grandpa was worried he would move in with Kaiba, Yami and Yugi were worried he would go back to his father, and Mokuba was worried about Joey leaving him. Finally, Ryou had come up with a solution. Moving into his house, which was only a few blocks away from Yugi's, were he would be close enough to run over if Mokuba needed him.

It would be gradual- Joey was going to start staying there every couple of nights and increase it as everyone adjusted- but it was much needed.

Dr. Green approved this plan, hoping that it would help wean Mokuba off his Joey dependency, which he never quite understood. He tried to ask both brothers about their feelings for the blond, only to be completely shut down on.

For now, he would let it go, telling Solomon that his primary focus was on getting the Kaiba brothers back together so they could heal.

"Hey Joey, are you ok? You've been kind of quiet this afternoon." Yugi asked, plopping down a bagged lunch in front of Joey before digging into his own.

Joey opened his slowly, barely taking note of the contents before mindlessly eating. He wasn't really hungry, but eating distracted him from the thoughts swirling around in his head.

X

Mokuba sat in class, staring out the window. He was finally going to get to see his big brother tomorrow, and he was so excited he could not wait.

After Dr. Green had approved their visitation, Seto had to leave the country suddenly- There had been a major issue at Kaiba Land USA, and he wanted to be there to help smooth things over. A couple of quick phone calls, and his brother had left the country with barely a good-bye.

He texted Mokuba twice, and called the Game Shop once while Mokuba was in school, but other than that there had been no word from him the entire trip. Mokuba couldn't wait to go home today, he was excited to see his brother, and he hoped Seto was excited to see him too.

This was the longest they had ever been apart- even during the years that Gozaburo had locked Seto in his bedroom they had still found ways to spend time together, and when Seto would work, Mokuba would curl up on his couch, happy to just be near his big brother and protector.

"Mokuba, who won the War of 1812?" His teacher interrupted his thoughts, and the young Vice President couldn't help but grin sheepishly.

"Um, the Americans." He stated, causing his teacher to shake his head and sigh.

"Make sure you're paying attention Mokuba. That was the third time I asked you that question." Mokuba nodded, blushing a little as he sunk into his chair. His teacher smiled, losing his gruff town.

"How about you redeem yourself with a follow up? Name the four men whose involvement in the war helped them become President later." Mokuba ran through the list in his head, taking a moment before answering.

"Jackson, Adams, Harrison, and Monroe."

"Very nice Mokuba, now let me pick my next victim…" with that the attention was on somebody else, and Mokuba sighed in relief. He really did like his history teacher, but having that class at the end of the day made it drag on.

Finally, the bell rang, and they were dismissed. Mokuba gathered his things, saying good bye to his friends and getting ready to go when he was stopped by his teacher calling him.

After a good natured ribbing about getting detention, the rest of the class let, and Mokuba settled back down in his seat. Mr. Rayz walked over to him, perching on one of the desks casually.

"I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You've been doing excellent work in here despite your current situation, and it's been noticed. I talked to your case worker the other day, and I made sure to tell her that also."

Mokuba nodded, not really sure what to say. He looked up to see Fuguta standing in the doorway, obviously coming to check to see why he hadn't left yet. Mr. Rayz looked up at the bodyguard, nodding at him before turning and awkwardly tapping Mokuba's desk.

"I just want you to remember that all of us are here to help you. I know you may see us as the enemy because we reported what was going on and got you removed from your brother's care, but everyone in this school has one goal: To protect our students." Mokuba nodded again, allowing a small smile to break out on his face.

"Alright, get out of here and have a good weekend Mokuba. I mean that. You too Mr. Fuguta." The bodyguard nodded, turning to escort Mokuba out of the school and into the waiting car outside.

"Are you on weekend duty Fuguta?" Mokuba asked him, crawling into the backseat and settling in.

"For the time being. Roland is helping your brother out with a few things at Kaiba Corp, so he asked me to fill in."

"Is everything ok?" Mokuba asked, instantly concerned. Fuguta hesitated, not wanting to upset his younger charge.

"I think that would be better explained by your brother Mokuba."

"Then I want to see him. Take me to Kaiba Corp now!" Mokuba stated, crossing his arms and giving his best impression of his brother's glare.

"I'm sorry Mokuba, I am under strict orders to take you to the Moto's. Perhaps your brother will be able to explain what is going on to you when he sees you tomorrow." Mokuba slid down in his seat, crossing his arms and frowning at the guard's reflection in the rear view mirror.

"You wouldn't talk to my brother like that."

"No, but your brother signs my paychecks, and my contract states I am to act in your best interest at all times, no matter what you say or do." Fuguta told him firmly, shaking his head at the younger Kaiba, who continued to pout the whole way home.

X

Kaiba stood in his office, Roland directly behind him, and glared at his unwanted guest. Maximillian Pegasus, who had covertly scheduled an appointment with him, and managed to bypass his security. They certainly did not recognize the other CEO- his dark blue shirt with a white undershirt was completely understated, not his usual style at all. He had also chopped his hair, which was now barely long enough to touch his ears, not to mention extremely curly.

The effect was overwhelming, making Pegasus look more his age of 29. Currently, he was sitting in front of Kaiba's desk, leaning back with a gentle smirk with Croquet standing directly behind him. Both bodyguards were waiting for someone to move, Croquet in particular waiting for the younger CEO to pounce so he could finally take him down.

"Oh Kaiba-Boy, you are an endless source of amusement to me. Please, have a seat so we may discuss our business." Pegasus said, clapping his hands a few times before gesturing towards the younger man's desk.

Kaiba entered warily, annoyed at how easily the silver haired man had taken over his office. "What do you want Pegasus?" He growled, refusing to walk near the man.

"Seriously Kaiba, I have something to discuss with you please sit down." There was a knock at the door, and Croquet turned to open it, causing Kaiba to growl again, deep in his throat, stopping in surprise when Yugi and Yami entered the room.

"Sorry we're late Kaiba, I had to help Grandpa unload the truck before we left." The shorter of the two stated, stopping abruptly when he saw Pegasus sitting in a chair.

"So… what's going on here?" Pegasus stood up, shaking both of their hands and pointing them to seats on either side of Kaiba, who looked like he was about to take all of them out.

"Now that we are all here, I have some important matters to discuss with you three. The first concerns the young Mokuba-"

His name was barely out of Pegasus's mouth when Kaiba jumped up, intent on taking out the other CEO once and for all. Much to everyone's surprised, he was stopped by Roland, who quickly pinned his anxious boss to his desk, holding him there while the younger man struggled. Pegasus sighed, waiting for Kaiba to wear himself out a bit before continuing.

"I have decided to retire as CEO of Industrial Illusions, effective at the end of the month. I find I have become bored of it, and wish to return to a simpler life." The 3 boys all blinked in surprise at that, memories of their time at Duelist Kingdom filtering through their minds. Pegasus waved a hand, obviously knowing what they were thinking about.

"I've been struggling with what to do next in my life, now that I've accepted my wife is not coming back, and I decided it was time to move on. I will still be a part of the company, but I will hand over most of the responsibilities to someone else."

"And who exactly would that be?" Kaiba asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, first person I thought of was you Kaiba-boy. A merging of two of the biggest companies in the world would certainly draw attention now wouldn't it?"

Kaiba paled, slamming his fists down on his desks. "You are not going to take over my company Pegasus! I've worked too hard for some slime ball to get his greasy hands all over it-"

Pegasus rolled his eye as Kaiba continued to rant and rave, focusing his attention on the other two with a wink. "That is the reason why I changed my mind about doing that. You'd think he'd learn to live and let go, all this stress is not good for him." He smiled at the two while Kaiba finished his yelling, stopping and blinking at Pegasus.

"Kaiba-boy, relax, I'm not interested in your company. I've already started to hand over the reins to a protégé of mine, a young man who ran the company while I was incapacitated after Duelist Kingdom. He will be officially announced as CEO next week, and I will graciously retire."

"So what do you need us for then?" Yugi asked, confused.

"I called you here because I wanted to discuss what will happen after I retire. First off, I am releasing you two from your contracts that you had to sign during my tournament, effective immediately. You will be paid until the end of the month, but I wanted make sure I announced this during my retirement speech. I don't want you two associated with me when the next announcement comes- I will be serving a 6 month sentence for the kidnapping of Mokuba Kaiba."

X

Bakura sat impatiently in the Moto's kitchen, tapping his fingers on the counter. Joey was upstairs with Ryou, grabbing his bags for the move. Meanwhile, he, Bakura, The Greatest Tomb Robber that ever lived, was stuck with Mokuba, the younger Kaiba brat.

The raven-haired boy studied him carefully, obviously remembering the time he had been kidnapped by Bakura and held for ransom to get his brother to go to Egypt. Bakura desperately wanted to pull out his knife, but he didn't want to get blamed for frightening the other one either. The fun he would have would not be worth the dog house Ryou would build for him.

Instead, he focused on his fingers, attempted to tap out the tune of a song his mother had once sung to him. "Where did you get that scar from Bakura?" Mokuba asked him, breaking Bakura's concentration as his hand went up to his cheek. The large scar that he had once carried on his face, the piece of him that had manifested the hatred and anger he had carried for so long, had been reduced to a small scratch on his cheek. Not enough to scare people, but enough that it was noticeable and make people comment on it.

"You're not the only one who was abused as a child Mokuba." He stated gruffly, turning away from the smaller boy to end the conversation.

"I know. Sometimes I think about the things that other people go through, and I feel like an idiot for acting this way. I should be stronger for my brother's sake." Mokuba admitted, looking down at his hands and trying not to cry.

"Yea you should." Bakura told him, and Mokuba's head snapped up as he stared at the thief. Ever since this happened, everyone had bent over backwards to tell Mokuba that things were ok and he was going to get through this. Bakura was the first person to go against that, and Mokuba didn't know how to respond.

"I lost everything because a couple of men wanted power. My family, my friends, my entire village was destroyed because they were deemed not worthy of living. This scar-"he stopped briefly to pull up his sleeve and show Mokuba a cut on his upper bicep-  
"Was from one of the Pharaoh's men. I was a young child, my family destroyed, and I dared to steal a loaf of bread from a cart. Back then, the penalty was stiff for stealing, and the guard wanted to make sure to mark me so he would know if I showed up again."

He gently stroked the scar on his face again, staring down at the younger boy. "This scar I got many years later. My anger at the Pharaoh and his family had filled me from a young age, and I finally decided to act. I set out to take a friend of his away, and the only thing that stopped me was the young pharaoh himself- Atem."

Mokuba blinked, trying to place the name as his eyes grew wide with horror. "You mean, Yami? Yami killed your family for power?" Bakura shook his head, surprising himself with his need of not frightening the younger boy.

"When I was a child, Egypt was in the middle of a battle with one of her enemies. The Pharaoh, Akhnamkanon, wanted to resolve things peacefully, but his younger twin brother Aknadin knew that peace always comes with a price. He suggested to his brother that they create the Millennium items and the Pharaoh agreed, afraid that his kingdom would crumble if he didn't. Aknadin led a group to my village, and slaughtered them in front of me, only leaving me alone when they thought I wasn't worth the time. They left me standing in the middle of my village, watching as bodies burned around me. Aknadin was the father of your brother's past self, the High Priest Seto."

Mokuba blinked slowly, picturing a young Bakura watching as everything he loved was destroyed. He knew very little about the time the rest of the gang had spent in Egypt, but he did recognize the names that had been mentioned around him before. Bakura watched him carefully, reaching over and picking up one of Mokuba's medication bottles that were on the counter and placing it in front of the young teen.

"I had no help, I had no one to care about me, to take me in and watch over me. No big brother to beat up bullies, or orphanage to go to where at least I was fed and had a roof over my head. You did, and you still do. Maybe having access to those things has made you weak, maybe it makes you not worthy of the name you carry, but one day, you'll be sitting down for breakfast with the person you love, and your demons will no longer be haunting you and scaring them away. I will never have that, I will never be free of the things I have done, and neither will your brother."

Bakura stopped again, looking wistfully at the staircase that Ryou and Joey had disappeared up. His attempts at seducing his lighter half had failed, and Ryou had started dating Tea a few weeks prior. In the end, after everything that had happened, he couldn't trust Bakura, and the former spirit couldn't blame him. It still hurt, and Bakura wasn't sure how to deal with these emotions without doing something, but he was trying.

He was dragged away from his thoughts by Mokuba, who had jumped up on the counter to lean over and give his former kidnapper a hug, letting the former thief relax into his touch and breathing deeply to calm himself down. It was a small gesture on his part, but he was surprised at how good forgiving Bakura felt, just like his therapist told him.


	14. Reuniting

A/N: Just want to thank Dark-Angel-Princess 01 and DMR5Family for putting this story on their favorites it means a lot! Just a heads up, it might be awhile for the next update, I'm trying to get this finished so I don't get stuck in another hole!

Kaiba swept out of his office after that meeting with Pegasus, wanting nothing more than to go home and bang his head against the wall. After being gone for a month, all he had been doing since coming back was putting out fires at work and it was exhausting, even for him.

The medication that the Doctor had put him on to help with his diagnosed bi-polar disorder made him groggy and weak, and he hated it. Of course, the worst part about the medication was how it made him feel emotionally.

The CEO had always prided himself on not showing emotion, being a cunning businessman who would be taken seriously by his peers, no matter what the age difference might be. Now, all he wanted to do was go home and spend time with his brother, who wasn't even there because Kaiba couldn't keep him under control.

A failure, just like his adopted father always used to call him during his daily shouting matches. The scars on Kaiba's back stung, and he reached up to touch them gently, feeling the pain radiate down his side.

These scars, unlike his brother's, were very real. Joey used to touch them when they were in bed together, running his fingers up and down the toughen skin and whispering words of encouragement to him while they laid there.

Kaiba frowned, pushing thoughts of the other duelist out of his mind. It was, after all, his fault that Kaiba was even on this medication to begin with. He went in the mansion, walking to the kitchen to heat up something, then picking at his dinner while watching the news. Cleaning up, he took his melatonin, then trudged upstairs to hopefully get some sleep before tomorrow.

X

( _Several weeks ago)_

 _The blond hadn't come back to the mansion since their big fight, and Kaiba had received confirmation that he had moved all of his stuff out right after Mokuba had left the hospital._

 _That had caused Kaiba to go into a rage, going home and changing ever single lock he could think of, busting several holes in his bedroom wall. He had even gone up to the third floor, where he had once lived when Gozaburo was alive, and began smashing things, pictures of the Kaiba family, worthless broken furniture that had been stored, anything he could get his hands on._

 _Fuguta had watched him in silence, not wanting to interfere with his boss, instead convincing the maid to make an emergency call to Dr. Green, who showed up close to midnight, watching silently as the elder Kaiba brother continued to fall apart._  
 _Yelling, throwing, and talking so quickly that neither adult could understand him until he collapsed on the floor in a heap. Dr. Green approached him quietly, sitting down on the floor in the CEO's eye sight, but not close enough to be in his space._

 _"Kaiba?" The brunet started talking rapidly again, waving his arms around and staring at the doctor. "How long has he been like this?" Dr. Green asked, looking over at the guard._

 _"Since he came home and found out Joseph left." Fuguta answered, watching his boss warily. The doctor nodded, standing back a little to watch his patient._

 _"Has he put anything into his body since he's come home?"_

 _"Besides some dust from breathing in the air up here, nothing that I have seen."_

 _"Ok, could you have someone make him something to eat? Perhaps a sandwich or fruit, nothing that requires silverware or heavy plates if possible, and a non-caffeinated drink in a paper cup." Fuguta nodded, muttering into his collar for a minute. Once he was done, he looked over at Dr. Green for more instructions._

 _"The only thing we are going to do now is make sure he doesn't hurt himself. If he goes for his phone, we will have to take it away, otherwise, we are just here to support him if he needs someone. Make sure any weapons you have on yourself are secured." Fuguta nodded, adjusting himself in the doorway just in case._

 _Over the next few hours, the two of them worked with Kaiba, not pushing him, but encouraging him to talk to them, to vent, yell, scream, whatever he needed just as long as he didn't hurt himself. When he started to come down, Dr. Green offered him the sandwich and water, which he surprisingly took._

 _Once that was done, Dr. Green convinced him to take some melatonin and go lay down. Fuguta sighed in relief when his boss agreed, ushering the brunet out off of the 3rd floor and to his room._

 _"Somebody should watch him tonight." Dr. Green told him, and Fuguta nodded, calling over to the security booth to have someone take him off shift._

 _"Have Roland call me at 9am sharp. I need to go over a few things with him." Dr. Green said, nodding tiredly at the other man before turning and leaving the mansion._

 _This lead to another therapy appointment, where Dr. Green talked to Kaiba about the possibility he might have bi-polar disorder. It all fit- How crazy he got before dueling Yugi, how he dropped out of sight every time he lost a duel, even how he acted like he was too good for everyone around him. (Of course, in Kaiba's opinion, his ego fit his lifestyle to a T.)_

 _His abilities to work with no sleep, not eating properly or exercising, all could be contributed to manic episodes. Realizing that he had to get a grip on this before he started seeing his brother again, he manufactured an excuse to get him out of the country, begrudgingly taking the lithium that Dr. Green had prescribed to him._

 _He started noticing a difference in himself after about two weeks- right about the time his employees stopped tiptop around him, and one of them actually had the nerve to tell him he was wrong about something. The worst part was, she was right. The code he had been working for the past two weeks had a major flaw, one that he should have easier picked up on._

 _That night, Kaiba grabbed the bottle of pills, tossing them into the garbage can angrily- only to pull them back out the next morning right after waking up._

 _Since then, he had started keeping a journal of his symptoms, ranging from an upset stomach to hair loss, emailing it once a week to Dr. Green to look over and make adjustments. Of course, it was difficult with Kaiba halfway around the world, but with the technology available today it was at least doable. Once he felt a little more under control, he returned to Japan, ready to finally face his little brother again._

X

Saturday dawned bright and sunny, and for that Mokuba was glad. He had made it through the night at the Moto's, only waking up twice. Yami had stayed in the room with him, ready to comfort the boy should the need arise. Now, the former Pharaoh was sleeping, the first rays of the morning hitting his face, highlighting his crazy hair style.

Mokuba smiled to himself, crawling out of bed carefully and tiptoeing out of the room so he wouldn't wake the Monarch up. He crept downstairs, wanting to collect himself before the household got up only to see Yugi's Grandpa in the kitchen, staring out the window with a cup in his hands.

"Mr. Moto?" He said, stepping into the kitchen and watching the older man start in surprise.

"Good morning Mokuba. How did you sleep last night?" The older man asked, turning and looking at his young charge, who shrugged and sat down at the counter.

"I don't remember having any nightmares, if that means anything." He stated, looking down at his hands. The room was quiet for a few minutes as Grandpa heated up more water, setting tea down in front of the raven-haired boy.

"Are you ready to see your brother today?" Mokuba frowned, staring down at the water as he contemplated the question.

"I… don't really know. It's funny, my brother always meant the world to me, but after everything that has happened, I'm starting to doubt how I feel about him." He admitted, not looking up at Solomon at all. The elder leaned over, placing his hand on Mokuba's shoulder and smiling gently.

"Your brother never learned how to deal with people's emotions when it comes to certain things. Give him some time to adapt to the changes, and I think you two will be ok."

"I hope so… I kinda miss being at home." Mokuba admitted, running his fingers across the countertop.

"I can imagine, its hard being out of your routine like this." Solomon said, pouring more hot water into his own cup.

"However, it's been nice having you around young Kaiba, and getting to know you as your own person, not just Seto Kaiba's little brother." Mokuba smiled at that, relaxing a little as he sipped his tea in silence with Yugi's grandfather.

A knock at the door, and they both looked as someone attempted to use a key in the lock. Finally, it opened, and Joey walked in, carrying a few bags along with Bakura. Ryou came in last, holding a dessert carrier and placing it gently on the counter.

"I knew I should have taken that key from you last night." Solomon commented, his eyes twinkling.

"C'mon Gramps, who would make you breakfast if I wasn't here? Yami? I don't think so!" Joey said, winking at Mokuba who giggled.

"Plus, I made some dessert cups for Mokuba's visit with his brother, thank you very much." Mokuba's face lit up at that, smiling brightly at his brother's ex. Joey wrapped an arm around the younger boy, leaning down to whisper something in his ear.

Mokuba smiled, wrapping his arms around the blond in a hug. Bakura dropped his bag on the counter, staring at the two menacingly. Joey rolled his eyes, letting go of Mokuba and laughing.

"Sorry 'Kuba, I promised Bakura pancakes if he brought me over here this morning. I'd better get started on them, why don't you go get the other two up?" Mokuba perked up, nodding quickly before getting out of his chair and dashing up the stairs.

"I should get dressed, I have to open up the shop soon also." Grandpa announced, smiling at his guests. "Feel free to help yourselves to anything in the fridge boys." He added, shaking his head at Joey who was already digging through cabinets looking for something.

X

Anna sat at the Moto's counter, smiling at Joey who had just offered her a drink. "Your brother shall be here in about 10 minutes Mokuba. I just wanted to run over a few things first. Solomon and I will be in the room for a bit just to supervise, then we will go to the living room and let you two have some alone time. If this visit goes well, the next time will be here also, then your brother will be permitted to take to pre-approved spots for your visits. Does that work for you?"

Mokuba nodded quietly, looking over at Joey, pleading with him silently to stay. Joey shook his head, giving Mokuba a thumbs up before bowing towards the adults and leaving the room. Solomon watched him go quietly, smiling to himself with pleasure that Joey was taking his advice and stepping back from Kaiba.

Yugi popped in next, wishing Mokuba luck before they left for the arcade. He watched them leave, suddenly wishing that he was going too instead of sitting around waiting for this visit. He pushed that thought away, knowing that he really did need to see his big brother again. He sat in the kitchen with Yugi's Grandpa and Anna, waiting nervously for his brother to show up.

The sound of the car door slamming made him flinch, and he looked at Solomon for reassurances. The older man squeezed his shoulder, smiling as he got up to get the door. Kaiba breezed by him, setting his briefcase down on the floor and nodding to the adults in the room. He turned to his brother, looking down at the raven-haired ball of fuzz.

"Seto?" Mokuba whispered and Kaiba nodded, extending a hand out to his brother as the younger boy jumped up and ran into his arms.

X

After a few minutes of polite talking, and a reminder of the rules for Kaiba, Anna and Solomon left the kitchen, going back into the Game Shop so Solomon could re-open. Mokuba had yet to let his brother go, trying to stop the tears falling before his brother saw them.

Finally they parted, Mokuba leading Seto over to the counter, where Solomon had left him a cup of tea. Mokuba opened up the tray Ryou had been holding earlier, revealing the dessert cups that Joey had made, a variety of fruit flavors that were Seto's favorites. He pulled one out, about to eat it when his brother snatched it out of his hand, looking at the treat in disgust before throwing it on the counter.

"I don't want you eating anything the mutt has made, it probably has fleas and fur in it." Seto said, staring down at the treat as if it had personally offended him. Mokuba rolled his eyes, picking up another one and putting it in his mouth before his brother could saying anything.

"I've been eating Joey's cooking for months Seto, my body is pretty much use to it by now." He informed his brother, watching as the brunet's shoulders clenched in annoyance. Mokuba rolled his eyes, getting ready to say something to his brother about the way he talked about Joey yet again when he stopped, thinking back to something Dr. Green had said instead.

"I talked to Bakura last night." He stated, fiddling with the paper napkin in front of him. His brother didn't respond, but his face twitched at the name so Mokuba knew he was at least listening. "He… kinda apologized to me about the time he kidnapped me, and we had a talk about a few things."

"What on earth could a 'Tomb Robber' have to talk to you about Mokuba?" Kaiba asked, looking at his little brother.

"Well, for starters, he told me about his past, about what happened that made him who he was. He told me about his village, and the part you played. He also… told me he was jealous of me a little."

"Of course he's jealous of you, you're a Kaiba. You're the heir to one of the biggest companies in the world." Kaiba responded, and Mokuba shook his head.

"Not because of that Seto. It's because I'm getting help. He's been trying to get Ryou to accept him for months, and Ryou finally rejected him and started dating Tea. Bakura told me he wished he had people to help him the way I do, because maybe then he wouldn't be alone." Kaiba was quiet at that, looking over at the dessert that Joey had made without a word. Mokuba touched his brother's sleeve, surprised at the hurt look that came over his face briefly while he mentioned the blond.

X

Anna walked back into the kitchen, smiling at the two boys who were looking over some papers on the counter. "Are you boys having a nice visit?" She asked, smiling at them.

"I'm showing Seto some of my school work for him to check." Mokuba responded, smiling brightly at his big brother. Seto nodded, still reading over a report from a few weeks ago.

"I see that school is still worth the money." He said, placing it down in satisfaction.

"Well I'm glad things are going well, but I have a couple of things to talk to you two about." She walked around the other side of the counter, placing down her own briefcase and opening it. "I assume you have not told your brother about the meeting yesterday, am I correct?"

Mokuba shook his head, looking sideways at his brother. Anna pulled out a folder, opening it and making a notation on something.

"Your brother had a meeting with Maximillian Pegasus yesterday-"Mokuba flinched at the name, drawing back from his case worker ready to dart. Seto placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at his little brother with a slight frown on his face. Mokuba read the look his brother was giving him loud and clear 'Kaiba's don't run.'

Anna watched this exchange, noticing how the raven-haired boy seemed to deflate under his brother's glare. "This is good news Mokuba. Pegasus has agreed to turn himself into the authorities, and serve a sentence of 6 months for your kidnapping. He's also going to turn over documents against the Kaiba Corp Board of Directors. Apparently, he has proof they were planning on hiring a hit man to take out your brother if he refused to relinquish control to them."

Kaiba didn't even blink at this new information, but Mokuba gasped, huddling into his brother's coat. "Why only 6 months? He kidnapped the Vice President of a major corporation to try to force a merger, doesn't that warrant more time?"

Anna hesitated, placing a paper in front of the brothers. "Normally yes, certainly because he took Mokuba out of the country. The problem is, we can't get him for custodial interference. This document has been authenticated as being signed by your adopted father, where it grants Pegasus rights as Mokuba's legal guardian in the event of something happening to him."

Kaiba's eyes narrowed dangerously, standing up while grabbing Mokuba and pulling him behind his brother's back. "If you think I'm going to let that psycho take my brother, you've got another thing coming lady. I've got plenty of paperwork to back up that I am Mokuba's legal guardian, not that-that- bunny obsessed freak."

"Relax Mr. Kaiba, nobody is going to send Mokuba to him. The problem is, Pegasus could use this document to say that he was simply taking care of Mokuba as an appointed guardian, and when you became ill and unable to fulfill your duties, he simply stepped in to help out." Mokuba stayed behind his brother's leg, taking a small comfort in the fact that Seto would still protect him.

The brunet's eyes were ice cold, his fist clenched tight. Mokuba hugged him from behind, hoping his brother would relax a little so Anna would not see him in full 'Kaiba' mode. She would never send him home after that.

Anna watched both of them, taking more mental notes for her file. She pulled a packet out of her folder and handed it to Kaiba along with a business card.

"Here is a copy of his statement. Pegasus asked that it be given to you, along with a copy of the document giving Pegasus rights over Mokuba. As part of the agreement for his sentencing, he will officially sign over any rights to custody to the state, and they will be transferred to Solomon Moto until you are approved to be your brother's guardian again." Kaiba nodded, thumbing through the documents in annoyance.

"Mokuba, Pegasus is also under strict orders not to contact you. We did not want to reveal your location, so there is no order of protection, but if he calls or tries to contact you in any way, call one of these numbers." She handed Mokuba a business card also, which he pocketed. Anna checked her watch, placing the papers back in her briefcase and shutting it.

"My time is up, but Mr. Moto has agreed to let you stay longer if you wish Mr. Kaiba. Mokuba just needs to stay in the house." Kaiba nodded, holding tightly onto his brother while Anna gathered her things and left.

"Seto, can I show you my room?" Mokuba asked, looking up at his brother in anticipation. Kaiba nodded, eyeing the door Anna left through as his brother dragged him up the Moto's stairs.

X

Yugi and Yami walked up to the Game Shop, eyeing the car still in the driveway. "It looks like things went well." Yugi said, smiling a little.

"Yes, hopefully spending time with his brother will help Mokuba out a little." Yami replied, opening up the door and holding it for his boyfriend.

"I just hope he stays away from Joey." Tristan growled, following the two into the shop. Duke had a meeting, and Tea had gone back to Ryou's with the others, so Yugi and Yami had invited the pointed haired man over to do homework. He was surprisingly good at math and science, and Yugi wanted to pick his brain over a few problems he was having difficulty with.

"I do too, but Joey is a big boy and we have to let him make his own decisions." Yugi replied, sighing.

"Yea well, he doesn't seem to make very good ones when it comes to that idiot." Tristan muttered quietly, turning and bowing to Yugi's grandpa. "

Mokuba is still with his brother, I believe they are playing some sort of video game if you three would like to join them."

"Thanks Grandpa." Yugi said, smiling to himself. The three boys tiptoed into the house, peering into the living room to watch Mokuba beating his brother at a racing game. Yami cleared his throat, letting the brother's know they weren't alone.

"Hey guys!" Mokuba cheered, smiling at the group while his brother muttered to himself.

"Hey Mokuba, looks like you guys are having a good time!" Yugi said, turning and bowing slightly to Kaiba in greeting. The brunet looked a little annoyed, but he stood and returned the greeting.

"You guys want to play? I finally found a game Seto isn't a master of!" Mokuba said, cheekily smiling at his older brother.

"Yea, well, Yami ain't that great at this one either. Last time we played he almost broke the remote." Tristan commented, smoothly moving out of the way when Yami went to playfully hit him.

Yugi took the offered controller, shaking his head at the two arguing teens. "Tristan and I will play a round, but we have to do school work afterwards." He informed the group, holding out the other controller to the standing brunet. Tristan settled down next to him, smack talking and laughing as the 5 boys passed the rest of the afternoon together.


	15. Dueling

A/N:This is the chapter that inspired movin' on (which I changed the title to cryin' pretty, focusing just on Mai.) Feel free to read it or not, you don't need to in order to understand this chapter. This is a little bit longer than what I usually write, so I apologize if it's hard to read. Also, Yami used 'Heart of the Underdog' in a duel during the Grand Prix... which everyone immediately thought was referring to Joey and started to make fun of him for.

"Thank you so much for letting me stay here Ryou, it certainly beats hotel living!" Mai said, settling into the couch and taking a cup of tea that her host had offered.

"Of course Mai, it's nice having a lady here to balance out the testosterone." Ryou joked, looking over at Joey and shaking his head. The blond smiled, knowing exactly where this was going.

"It's not my fault Bakura doesn't remember how to take a punch! You should have seen him go flying Mai, it was hilarious!" Joey exclaimed, flexing his arms and kissing his muscles.

"I'll bet, and it will be just as funny when he gets his revenge on you for touching him." Ryou said dryly, attempted to control a smile when Joey 'Eeped' and looked around the room.

"He wouldn't do that, would he?" Joey asked, sitting next to Mai and pretending to hide behind her. All three laughed, Mai shaking her head, looking around for the other spirit.

"Where is he anyway? I haven't seen him since he came back."

"He went out for a bit, I think he needed a breather." Joey said, looking over a Ryou in concern. The former host frowned, looking out the window.

"He's not a big fan of Tea these days, and just in case she makes it here before we go out for dinner..."

"He's making himself scarce huh? Not that I blame him but still, how rude." Mai finished, looking over at Joey.

"Looks like I'm stuck with you as my date then Joseph. Better clean up a little, I'm a VIP guest you know." Joey laughed, looking down at his torn jeans and old t-shirt.

"You're probably right Mai, I'm going to hop into the shower be back in a few." He kissed the blonde lightly on the forehead before jumping up and running into his room. Mai watched him go, sighing to herself as she turned back to Ryou.

"So how is he doing?"

"That depends on which 'he' you are referring too." Ryou said with a sigh, sitting down next to Mai. She considered for a minute before answering.

"Let's go in alphabetical order.. Bakura, Joey, Kaiba, Mokuba, you, Yami and Yugi. I talk to Tea and Serenity all the time, so I'm pretty much caught up on them, and as far as I know Tristan and Duke are ok right?" Ryou nodded, leaning back to think over his response.

"Bakura is having a rough time. He seems to think a couple of nice gestures, and everyone is going to be falling all over themselves to invite him into their circles. Obviously that's not working. Joey is… Joey. Kaiba has been going to his therapy which has been surprising all of us. The doctor managed to get a hand on their parents' medical records, and it turns out his mother was bi-polar, which apparently Kaiba inherited."

"Makes sense." Mai muttered, thinking back to some of her own interactions with the CEO.

"Yea, that's pretty much what we all said too." Ryou replied, laughing a little. "Mokuba is doing a lot better, his grades are back up, he's feeling more comfortable, and they are talking about letting him go back home after Pegasus is behind bars. Honestly, I think Yugi's grandpa will be sad to see him leave, he's really enjoyed having the kid around. The rest of us are doing pretty good… now that things are calming down we are all getting a chance to relax a little." Ryou said, picking up his own cup and taking a sip.

"I can imagine, I'm just so excited to be able to see everyone again. It's been so long since I've been able to be around, I'm just glad I'm finally feeling better myself." Mai said, looking around the living room.  
The young woman had been in therapy herself the past few months, talking through some of the things that she had suffered through the past few years. During that time, she had completely fallen off the map, not responding to any of the group's attempts to reach her.

She had missed Yami leaving, then him coming back, and had just started reaching out when everything was hitting the fan with Mokuba. Not able to handle dealing with Mokuba's demons when she barely had a handle on her own, she had backed off, promising Joey she would stay in touch but not wanting to be a distraction.

Finally, she was feeling stronger, and decided to come for a visit after her latest tournament win, declining another tournament invite. That was how she ended up here on Ryou's couch, finally getting the chance to get to know the white-haired boy.

They relaxed, chatting up a storm, adding Joey to the conversation when he came back in the room. Finally, it was almost time to leave, and Mai excused herself, wanting to change before they went out for dinner. When she came back out, Bakura had come home, and was currently sulking on the couch in between Ryou and Joey.

"We made him wait for you to come out." Joey said, looking over at Ryou before nudging the former Tomb Robber to stand up. "Go ahead Bakura, you know what to do."

Bakura glared at Joey, getting to his feet and shuffling over to the waiting blonde. Mai just stared at him, a little creeped out but not wanting to show it.

"I guess it's nice to finally meet you Bakura. Thanks for letting me stay here." Bakura looked at her extended hand, not sure what to do. Finally, he grasped it, shaking lightly, watching for some sign that he was making her uncomfortable.

When that didn't happen, he couldn't help but grin, pulling Mai towards him quickly and whispering in her ear "I never got a chance to tell you this before, but I love your boobs." He let go of her, not sparing a glance back before walking into his room and shutting the door.

X

"Let's get this party started!" Tristan shouted, clinking glasses with his friends.

"Calm down Tris', it's not like we're drinking or anything." Duke said, taking a sip of his fruity non-alcoholic drink.

"Yea well, doesn't mean we can't party!" The brunet responded, tossing a folded up napkin at his boyfriend. Tea giggled, shaking her head at both of them. The guest of honor had yet to show up, so it was the three of them along with Yugi, Yami, Mokuba, and Serenity, who was staying with Tea for the weekend. Mokuba was smiling, chatting away with Tristan about some shooting game that he had just started to play, unaware that Tea was watching him, smiling at how much better he was doing. There was still a long way to go, but at least they were getting somewhere.

"Hey guys!" Mai interrupted, waving at the group.

"Mai!" They all shouted, taking turns giving the older blonde a hug.

"Joey!" Serenity cheered, wrapping her arms around her big brother.

"Hey sis, glad you made it!" Joey said, kissing her on the forehead.

"Like I had a choice, you would have come and gotten me anyway!" Serenity teased, hugging her brother harder.

"You got that right." Joey told her sternly, the twinkling in his eyes under minding his tone.

Mokuba watched the two of them, amazed at the easy back and forth the siblings possessed. He had never really had that with Seto, his brother's humorous side being beaten out of him years ago between the orphanage and Gozaburo.

He bit his bottom lip, looking over at Roland, who was sitting several tables away drinking tea and reading a novel, pretending not to be listening to the chattering of the teens by him. Feeling eyes on him, Roland looked up briefly, glancing around while pulling out his cell phone and typing something in. Mokuba's phone beeped, and he looked down, surprised to see the body guard had texted him. Mokuba shot back a quick 'all good' before attempting to get lost in a conversation with Tea and Tristan.

X

The group had met up at a restaurant right next to Kaiba Land. A few days before, Tea had jokingly challenged Mai to a duel, which quickly grew into a 'mini-tournament' where they all were going to play, even Mokuba, who had been practicing his dueling skills with Yugi's Grandpa since his brother had previously shown no interest in teaching him.

After eating, the gang filtered into the arena, which had been partially roped off for them, mostly so people wouldn't bother Yugi while he was playing.

Serenity went first against Mokuba, each being cheered on by the group. When Mokuba pulled out a sound victory, Joey groaned, having silently hoped that a Wheeler could finally beat a Kaiba in a card game. Both younger teens jumped off the platform, meeting in the middle for a good-natured handshake.

"Well that's something you usually don't see after one of these." Tea muttered, causing Ryou and Yugi to giggle beside her.

Tristan and Duke jumped up next, while Joey hugged his sister and complimented her on her skills. Serenity seemed pleased, wrapping her arms around her brother and leaning on him while they watched the duel. Mokuba watched them with sad eyes, shuffling his feet as his friends played.

Yugi patted his shoulder, figuring what was bothering the younger boy but not knowing what to say. Mokuba shrugged him off, looking around for Mai who was supposed to be dueling next with Tea. Not seeing her around, he took off, wandering through the area in hopes of finding the blonde. He knocked on the bathroom door, not hearing anything before wandering off again. He passed a janitor closet, stopping when he heard something. Pushing the door open, he looked in, reaching in the darkness for the light switch.

Flipping it on, he immediately spotted Mai, curled up in a corner. He started to walk over to her, looking back to see Roland popping his head in to size up the situation before shutting the door silently.

"Mai?" Mokuba asked, sinking down next to the blonde.

"Hey Mokuba." She mumbled, not lifting up her head.

"Are you ok? Why are you sitting in the closet?" Mai sighed before lifting up her head, looking over at Mokuba who couldn't help but gasp in surprise. He had never seen Mai looking anything but perfect, hair, nails, makeup, outfit, everything. The Mai sitting here before him was still beautiful, but her red, tear-streaked face with mascara running down it certainly would not be on the cover of any magazine. She beckoned him closer, and he sat down, allowing Mai to pull him in and kiss the top of his head.

"Kiddo, I haven't been ok for a long time. You're not the only one chasing away demons you know. I've got plenty of them myself." Mokuba didn't respond, running through his memory everything he knew about Mai, which wasn't much.

She was an orphan as well, but her parents had managed to write a will where she kept most of the money. She had set out on the dueling circuit when she was 18, right after Duel Monsters had taken off, and never went back home, preferring instead to bounce from place to place playing in tournaments and meeting her fans, staying away from anyone who might actually care about her.

Then she met Yugi and the gang, and things changed, right up until the point where Marik locked her away during Battle City. Then there was DOMA, afterwards disappearing again until very recently… His thoughts were interrupted by Roland, who had walked back into the room holding a handkerchief, nudging it towards Mokuba to offer it to Mai before leaving again. The young teenager did, watching as Mai half-smiled at him.

"Thanks Mokuba. You're much nicer than that brother of yours." She commented, wiping the tears off her face. Mokuba said nothing, waiting for her to talk. Mai touched her cheek with the cloth, frowning in annoyance at the mascara on it.

"Waterproof my ass." She muttered, and Mokuba giggled. "Well, I guess you know my secret now Mokuba. I, Mai Valentine, am not a pretty crier."

"What's a 'pretty crier?'" Mokuba asked, looking confused.

"A pretty crier is a woman who can get her eyes to water up, maybe even shed a few tears, but still looks perfect. No splotchy face, no running make-up, nothing. It's an art form that I have yet to figure out."

"Sounds to me like they're not really crying. You should see me, my nose gets all red, my hair hangs in my face and I start shaking. One time it got so bad Seto thought I was having a seizure." Mokuba replied, leaning his head on her shoulder as he thought back.

"I'm sure, if there's one thing I know in this world it's how much your brother really does love you, even if he hasn't been acting like that lately." Mokuba frowned, knowing that Mai was right but still having his doubts.

"So why are you hiding in a closet crying anyway?"

"Well for starters, it's very clean. No funky chemical smells, no stains anywhere from something being dropped, it's almost like no one ever uses it." Mai said, waving a hand around the room with a half-smile.

Mokuba watched her, waiting for a real answer, knowing from personal experience that Mai was stalling because what she was really feeling was too hard to talk about. "Do you remember what happened to me during Battle City Mokuba? After my duel with Marik?"

"I remember that you were in a coma. Serenity sat by your bedside for most of the tournament after wards, keeping an eye on you for her brother. Seto said you had a bad reaction to the holograms which caused you to pass out, and he was just keeping you in the hospital bay to keep things moving. I didn't really believe him though. Not after what happened with Joey." Mokuba whispered, blinking back a tear.

"After I lost my duel, Marik banished me to the Shadow Realm, much like what happened to you with Pegasus. Only, I wasn't lost in darkness unable to find someone. Instead, I was stuck in a cage, watching as all of my friends played around and had a great time without me. Every day, they would forget me more and more, enjoying each other's company as I slowly faded away. It was a nightmare, my worst fear, to just be forgotten, and Marik exploited it perfectly." Mai stopped, wiping away a few new tears that had started.  
"Once Battle City was over, I just wanted to forget everything. Forget my friends, forget the lessons I had learned by being part of this group. I bounced around more than I ever had, winning tournament after tournament without any help or anyone to cheer for me. All I could hear was the negative remarks from people around me, who thought I was worthless, barely good enough to compete, or even worse a woman. I kept the bad feelings at bay, letting them lap at my mind every once in a while until the dam broke and I completely feel apart, right into the arms of Valon and DOMA." Mai stopped again, wiping her face and attempting to smile at Mokuba. "You know all this already, I'm sorry I'm boring you."

The younger boy shook his head slowly, a question forming in his mind. "Mai? Do you ever had false memories about things that happened before you went to the Shadow Realm? Like the ones that I have about Pegasus?"

Mai looked at the raven-haired boy, who by now was snuggled firmly into her side. "My therapist calls it 'unreliable narrator,' when you get to the point that you've overthought and redone something so much that you can't sort out the details, so you just believe something that sounds like the truth."

"Joey says there is always a bit of truth in everything, you just have to find it sometimes." Mokuba said softly, feeling a few tears drip down his face.

"I'm sorry Mokuba, I didn't mean to upset you. Sometimes, I just have to find a corner to cry in. Being around them again brings back a lot of good memories, but some not so great ones as well."

"I know, sometimes I want to hate them for being so close, but I want that so much. I want to be a part of something bigger and better, I just don't know how to. Seto has taught me a lot of things, but not that."

"I think you do pretty well all by yourself Mokuba. I know how much Joey and the rest of the gang like you, and that's for yourself, not your money, your power, or because of who your brother is. Just you, Mokuba Kaiba." Mokuba couldn't help but smile at that, backing off Mai and letting her stretch so she could get up.

"Is there a bathroom around her so I can wash my face before we go back Mokuba?"

"Yea, I'll take you there. Let me send Roland to let everyone know we will be right there." Mokuba said, wrapping his arms around the blonde's waist in a hug, smiling as Mai gently hugged him back.

X

"Oh yea, Tristan Taylor pulls out a stunning victory over the maker of Dungeon Dice Monsters. Maybe the young CEO should stick to his own game… oh wait IT'S THE SAME THING!" Tristan joked, talking in a fake announcer voice.

Mokuba and Mai had come back just as Tristan managed to beat Duke, who muttered under his breath something extremely inappropriate for young ears to hear. Tristan didn't pay attention, too busy greeting Joey with one of their obnoxious victory dances.  
Tea shook her head at them, groaning in pretend annoyance. "This is why I needed more female friends." She whispered to Serenity who was staring at her brother in alarm.

"Is he alright? That looks kinda painful." Serenity whispered back, watching as Tristan grabbed Joey in a headlock and proceeded to pretend to choke him.

"Joey knows the safe word, I'm sure he's fine." Tea said, looking over as Mokuba and Mai rejoined them.

"Hey guys, everything cool?"

"Yup, Mokuba was just giving me a tour. Never been to a Kaiba Land before, it's pretty awesome." Mai replied, winking at the youngest of the group, who smiled back.

"Alright Mai, well it's you and me next, and I don't want to hear anything about you going easy on me so I can help my friends out. Give me all you got." Tea said sternly, winking at the blonde.

"Alright hun, if that's the way you want it, far be it for me to rain on your parade." Mai replied, pulling her deck out of its holster and waving it at Tea.

"I hope you've been practicing though, cause I've gotten a lot better since last time." Tea laughed, pulling out her own deck from her pocket and smiling at Mai.

"I guess we will see right?" Mai nodded as the two women jumped on the platform and prepared to duel.

X

"Maybe I should have gotten you to go easy on me again." Tea muttered, looking pained as her last monster was destroyed by Mai's Harpies.

"Now Tea, what fun would that be? You have to lose at some point you know. Got ding that winning record at some point." Mai replied, winking at the brunette.

"Winning record?..." Tea asked, looking at Yugi in confusion.

"Well, technically you've never lost a game right? You beat me, and from what I've been told you beat that creepy guy when you guys were in that virtual world. Heck, I think you even beat Joey a few times if I'm not mistaken." Mai said, pointing over her shoulder at said blond. Tea giggled at Joey's face, watching as he crossed his arms and grumbled to himself for a moment. He shook his head, flashing a bright smile at the group.

"Yug, aren't you going to defend me on this."

"Sorry Joey, but I remember how bad you were until Grandpa took it upon himself to help you out. It was pretty rough." Yugi said, laughing as Yami tried not to snort behind him.

"Everyone's a critic. Well then, guess I've got to defend myself. So which one of you two am I dueling today? Jumping Joey Wheeler has his dignity to protect you know." That just caused everyone to start laughing, even Roland allowed himself a few chuckles. Joey ignored them, jumping up on the platform, placing his hands on his hips and glaring down at everyone.

"Well?" Yami glanced questioningly at Yugi who nodded, kissing his lover quickly for good luck before climbing up himself.

X

Kaiba sat in his office, typing out an email response to his R+D team, stopping periodically when his tremors would get bad. The unfortunate side effect of his lithium, one that annoyed him to no end. However, compared to some of the other side effects he had read about, the tremors weren't that bad. He had a few memory lapses, and issues concentrating during meetings, but those were quickly brought under control.

Finishing up the last few sentences, he re-read it quickly, checking for errors before sending it off. Groaning, he rolled his shoulders back, stretching out his tired neck muscles in the process. A small smile danced across his lips as he thought about Joey, who had quickly learned when they started dating that the fastest way to get Kaiba to pay attention was a good neck rub. That smile quickly faded away when he remembered- There was no Joey anymore. No Mokuba either, just an empty mansion that he would go home to and wander around until it was time to go to bed. Pushing that thought out of his mind, he went back to work, determined to get everything done so he wouldn't have to worry during his visitation with his brother tomorrow.

X  
Several hours later, he answered his last email, glancing at the clock to see it was barely 5. He chewed his bottom lip, debating. He could work longer, start on a new project, but if something went wrong, it would interfere with his plans. Reluctantly, he shut off the computer, gathering his things and walking out the door.

"Are you leaving Mr. Kaiba?" His secretary asked, blinking in surprise at him.

"Yes. Divert all my calls to the service, and go ahead and leave early. I will see you on Monday."

"Thank you Mr. Kaiba." She responded, bowing her head a little in gratitude as she followed his directions.

Deep in thought, Kaiba made it back home, standing in front of the mansion and staring. This place was the cause of all of his, the hurt, anger, sadness, every emotion he felt was because of here.

Maybe Mokuba was right, there was no good that could come out of living here… but what could he do to fix that? Impulsively, he pulled out his phone, starting to look up numbers for construction companies, wanting nothing more than to have someone with a giant wrecking ball come in and destroy the place right where it stood.

He almost placed the call, but stopped himself, remembering something Dr. Green had told him about leaning to control his impulses. Kaiba scrolled through his numbers, stopping at The Game Shop and talking for several minutes with Solomon Moto, who immediately offered up the information Kaiba needed and offered to meet him there.

Kaiba hung up on him, gripping the phone in his hand, wondering what had happened to his life that he needed someone else's permission to see his own brother.

X

Kaiba swept into the dueling arena with Solomon right behind him, not bothering to adjust his stride for the shorter man to keep up. His need to see his brother was growing, at this point no one would be able to stop him even if they tried.

The sounds of laughter filtered through his ears, and he turned sharply towards the sound, ducking underneath the rope to one of the back arenas. There was Yugi and Joey, dueling while the rest of the gang watched and shouted encouragements.

Yugi was in the middle of summoning a monster while Joey made a smart aleck remark, causing the shorter teen to threaten to end the duel right at that moment. Joey shut his mouth, letting his best friend complete his move, knowing that Yugi already had a trump either on the field or in his hand just waiting to play.

Joey flipped over his own card, adding points to his Red Eyes so it would be strong enough to take down Yugi's Dark Magician. Yugi's eye's twinkled, and he flipped over his own card, destroying Joey's Red Eyes to end the duel.

"Ok everybody, raise your hands if you saw that one coming." Tristan joked, ducking behind Serenity as Joey jumped off the platform and went after him.

"Come here and say that to my face you jerk!" He yelled, chasing the brunet around the arena, only to trip and knock himself to the floor at Kaiba's feet.

"Seto?" Mokuba questioned, blinking in surprise to see his brother standing there staring down at Joey and Tristan with an unreadable look.

"Are these really the people you want as friends Mokuba? It seems like both of them need to be taught some manners." Kaiba stated coolly, looking over at his brother. Mokuba winced, not knowing what to do. Part of him wanted to run up to his brother just like he used to, but the other part was more worried about the two on the floor. Joey had managed to untangle himself from Tristan, leveling a glare at Kaiba as he helped his friend on the floor.

"Now Kaiba, I didn't agree to let you join them so you could start a fight." Solomon scolded, having finally caught up to the group.

"Grandpa! Did you come to duel?" Yugi said, running over to the old man.

"No, I thought I'd come enjoy some matches with nothing on the line. What did I miss?"

"Nothing much, just Joey's lady luck abandoning him at the last possible minute again." Tristan said, walking over with his arm protectively wrapped around Joey's neck, putting as much room between his best buddy and Kaiba as possible.

"It's fine, I beat Yugi last week he's just paying me back." Joey mumbled, shoving Tristan irritably.

"Yea, it seems like you always win when there is no witnesses." Tristan teased him some more, yipping in pain when Tea grabbed his ear and started yelling at him. Joey and Yugi snickered at the brunet while Solomon shook his head, looking over at Kaiba and sighing.

Mokuba still hadn't moved, his hand in his pocket thumbing his deck while he stared at his brother. The tension in the air was noticeable, even with the small distraction of the two boys fighting. Ryou turned to the younger Kaiba, whispering something to him.  
Mokuba lit up at that, smiling at the white-haired boy.

"Hey Joey, Ryou and I challenge you and Serenity to a duel!" Joey blanched at the thought, glancing quickly at his ex who looked like he was about to murder someone.

"Are you sure you want Ryou as your partner?"

"Yup, I enjoy watching you cry when he uses his deck." Mokuba replied, smiling cheekily as he scrambled up to the arena, the sounds of the rest of the gang trying not to laugh surrounding him. Ryou followed him up, grinning down at Joey once he was settled.

Serenity in the meantime looked nervously at her brother. "Are you ok with me dueling with you Joey?" She asked quietly, and he grinned.

"Trust me Ren, there is nothing that would make me happier." He replied, winking at the younger girl whose whole face lit up. Yami came up behind her, casually sliding a card in her hand.

"Hey, no fair! No trading away trading cards Yami!" Mokuba said, having caught what the former Pharaoh was doing. Joey too was curious, laughing as he peered over his sisters' shoulder… only to immediately attempt to jump Yami, who had smartly backed away.

"I thought you got rid of that card Yami, are you trying to make me look bad?"

"What did he give you Serenity?" Yugi questioned, looking over at the younger girl. Serenity silently held up the card for everyone to see-Heart of the Underdog.

X

Joey sat down, groaning. Serenity wasn't a bad duelist, but she was using a deck composed of left over cards Yugi's grandpa had given her. The result was a deck that had no theme, so she was unable to support some of her monsters, giving Ryou the chance to come after her with some of his zombie monsters.

Mokuba faired quite a bit better, having his pick of cards because of his older brother. In the end though, Joey managed to pull out a victory, using his time wizard to age Mokuba's monster and take the rest of their life points. Wiping the sweat off his brow, he shook his head, looking over at his sister who was positively beaming at him.

"Thanks for playing with me big brother." She whispered, plopping down at the edge of the duel arena next to Joey.

Mokuba came up next, wrapping his arms around Joey's neck and congratulating him. The blond smiled, cracking a joke as he looked across the room, locking his honey eyes with ice cold blue. Joey patted Mokuba's arm, whispering something to him in encouragement while the raven haired boy nodded. Jumping off the platform, he walked up to his big brother.

"What did you think Seto?" The brunet opened his mouth, about to tell Mokuba every step he should have done differently, when he stopped himself.

"Perhaps tomorrow you and I should go look for some cards to strengthen your deck a bit." He replied, blinking in surprise as his brother's entire face lit up, just like it used too when they were kids. Mokuba finally wrapped his arms around his big brother's waist, pulling him close for a hug.

X

"I need to speak to you for a moment." Kaiba whispered in Joey's ear.

They were currently watching Mai and Yami duel, a surprisingly riveting contest. Several times Mai had managed to stop Yami from ending the duel, and they were both now barely holding on, Yami's 400 life points to Mai's 250. Joey nodded, looking around to see his friends were engrossed in the duel before stepping away from them.

"What do you want Kaiba?" He asked, folding his arms and staring at the brunet.

"When you've decided this little hissy fit is going to be over and you're coming back home." Joey blinked in surprise, moving his jaw up and down as he attempted to find his voice. "You look like a fish when you do that pup." Kaiba commented, leaning down to kiss the blond.

They finally parted when Tristan came over and pushed Kaiba off Joey, standing in front of his buddy with his fists raised.

"Leave him alone Kaiba." The brunet growled, ready to throw a few punches in the CEO's face.

"Didn't realize the puppy needed a guard dog." Kaiba said, mentally preparing himself to block the shorter boy.

"He does when he's around a jerk like you." Tristan replied, dancing briefly on the balls of his feet before lunging. Kaiba stepped aside smugly, laughing to himself about how Tristan always gave away his next move when he felt himself go down as his legs  
were swept out from underneath him.

Wincing as he hit the floor, he attempted to grab at the other boy but Tristan managed to get away. Rolling off the floor, the two brunet's stared at each other for a moment. Joey sighed in frustration, pushing his friend firmly away.

"I don't need you to save me Tris, everything is fine." Tristan still refused to back down, glaring at Kaiba over Joey's shoulder. By now the rest of their friends realized what was going on and were watching them, Mokuba in particular. Roland slid over behind his boss, ready to back him up if needed.

"Seto?" Mokuba questioned, looking over at his brother in concern. Kaiba was trembling, his hands clenched and shoulders tense. Even Tristan was quiet, staring at the CEO who was clearly in distress.

Finally, Mai came over, having climbed down off the tower, stopping her duel with Yami in the process. She grabbed Kaiba by the hands, pulling him over towards her and having him breath with her, smiling gently as he started to listen to her.

Once he composed himself, he pulled his hands away, turning on his heel and walking to the exit, stopping only to remind his brother that he would pick him up in the morning.


	16. Starting something

A/N: Thank you to Thiendrah for following this fi!. This chapter is long, I couldn't find a good place to break it up so I apologize in advance if it's awkward to read. Most of it is a flashback, starting from when Kaiba asked for help until a few months before this fic started. Trigger warnings, as it does brush upon Kaiba having both a manic and depressive episode.

Joey looked around Dr. Green office, attempting to settle down in his chair. He had called the therapist Saturday morning, shaken by Kaiba's attempts to get him to come home with him.

Mai had attempted to calm him down, the two blonds lying in bed that night whispering to each other. He couldn't stop though, months of worrying about the Kaiba brother's making him want to run out the door, go over to the mansion, and wrap his arms around Kaiba

Dr. Green had offered to come over on Saturday, but Joey had promised him that he wouldn't do anything crazy until Monday.

Kaiba had messaged him steadily over the weekend, except for the few hours he had been with Mokuba, and Joey could feel his resolve breaking.

Mai had finally taken his phone, tucking it into a drawer and refusing to let Joey pick it up. She told him he could have it back once he was at his session, and she was true to her word, not even letting Joey pick it up on his way out of the house for school that morning. She even escorted him to school, making sure Kaiba wasn't around before she promised to pick him up for his appointment and took off.

As they headed towards Dr. Green's office, she finally gave it back and he turned it on, the steady beeps of messages coming through followed them to the office. In fact, it had gotten so bad that he had left it in the car, much to Mai's chagrin. She ended up following him into the office, settling into a chair to wait as Joey disappeared into the other room.

"Hello Joseph." Dr. Green greeted him, walking in several minutes later. Joey nodded to the older man, fidgeting nervously on his couch. "You don't have to sit there if you don't want Joseph. This chair over here is fine." He indicated a chair over on the left, which Joey quickly moved over too.

"Thanks Doc, feels a little weird doing couch sitting." Joey admitted, sinking back into the chair and sighing.

"Of course, I'd rather you be comfortable so you want to talk to me." Dr. Green assured him, settling back himself and pulling out a notebook, waiting for Joey to start.

"I shouldn't have left him." Joey finally said, looking down at his hands and sighing.

"Who exactly are we talking about here Joseph?"

"Kaiba. I shouldn't have left him, I should have stuck around and supported him. He's been through so much, he wasn't really asking that much of me."

"Forgive me if I'm over stepping my boundaries here Joseph, but from what I understand, you and Kaiba did not get along very well for a long time correct? I got a record of some pretty nasty verbal, physical, and emotional abuses on both of your sides."

Joey nodded, clenching his fists as he got ready to defend his relationship to someone else.

Dr. Green noticed this, holding up a hand to calm the blond. "I'm not here to back you up against the wall and make you feel guilty Joseph. "Why don't you start by telling me when things between you two started to change?"

Joey sighed, looking out the window as he gathered his thoughts. "It was right after I moved into the Moto's. I had gone to the grocery store to pick up a few things, and Kaiba was there when I got back, just standing around looking…"

X

 _"Mutt."_

 _Kaiba muttered, nodding in Joey's general direction. The blond stopped, looking over at Kaiba quizzically. The brunet was standing outside the Game Shop, running into Joey as the blond was returning from the store._

 _It had been over a month since the pool party, but Joey couldn't help but notice how much older looking Kaiba had gotten. He clearly had not been sleeping well judging from the bags under his eyes._

 _Joey eyed the CEO warily, not sure what he wanted. "Can I help you with something Kaiba?"_

 _The brunet stayed quiet, looking towards the Game Shop with apprehension. "Is it true?"_

 _"Is what true?" Joey questioned, following Kaiba's gaze._

 _"Oh. Yea it's true, he showed up the other night with Bakura right behind him, muttering something about second chances and feather scales." Joey stated, watching as Kaiba's face paled slightly. "Of course, I just moved in too, so now it's a little cramped in there, but seeing Yugi's smile has been worth it. You should go in, he would like to see you I'm sure."_

 _Kaiba shook his head, taking a step back. "I'm not here for that right now. I… I need help with something." He said slowly, saying the words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth. Joey blinked a few times before falling over in pretend shock._

 _"Get up Wheeler you look ridiculous." Kaiba snapped, and Joey couldn't help but laugh. Picking himself up off the ground, he dusted off his green jacket._

 _"Well, if you don't want to duel Yami, it must be serious, why don't you come inside so we can talk?" Kaiba nodded, following the blond into the back of the shop where the family lived._

 _Yugi took one look at Kaiba's face and immediately offered him some tea, which the brunet surprisingly took before settling down with his former enemies at their dining room table, struggling for a moment before letting his wall down and finally telling them the truth about what was going on with Mokuba._

 _X_

 _Joey showed up the next day at the mansion bright and early, the maid smiling as she let him in. "Young Master Kaiba is still sleeping, would you like me to escort you to the game room?" She questioned the blond, who shrugged._

 _"I guess, but is Kaiba here? I kind of wanted to speak to him as well."_

 _"He is, let me see if he can receive guests at the moment."_

 _Joey grinned at her, pointing a thumb at himself. "Wouldn't it be more fun to let me surprise him?"_

 _The maid shook her head, pointing to a bench in the hall for Joey to sit on, which he did, placing his hands in his lap and winking at her, promising to be good. She in turn pointed to her own eyes, then at Joey, then at the ceiling, silently reminding him that there were cameras and guards to hold him to that promise before leaving him._

 _Joey fidgeted on the bench, humming to himself as he waiting for a Kaiba to show up. Waiting, waiting, waiting… finally he heard the soft tapping of Roland's footsteps, and he looked up at the body guard, raising an eyebrow with a silent question._

 _"If you would follow me please Mr. Wheeler, I am to escort you to the office." Joey nodded, following the older man through the maze of a mansion. They stopped outside a door, and Roland knocked before opening it, standing aside to let Joey in._

 _The blond took in the room carefully, noting the surprisingly plain décor sitting around._

 _"Sit down Wheeler." Kaiba said, pointing at a chair. Joey did, crossing his arms before looking over at the brunet._

 _"So I told you I would help you, but I didn't think that would involve a 6AM phone call to come over." He stated, raising an eyebrow at the brunet. Kaiba ignored him, typing something on his computer. The blond duelist waited, leaning back to study his rival carefully._

 _"Is it weird, having him back?" Kaiba asked him quietly, and Joey shrugged._

 _"It's Yami, the only difference now is he doesn't have to keep his hands off of Yugi." Kaiba blanched at the thought, typing something else into his computer._

 _"So, are you going to tell me why I am here or not?" Joey questioned, tapping his foot impatiently. Without his eyes even leaving the screen, Kaiba handing him a folder, which Joey flipped open only to freeze._

 _"This is.. what the… how did you…" His voice trailed off as he flipped through pages of his own medical records, documents of his bruises and broken bones from his father's alcohol fueled attacks._

 _"This is none of your business Kaiba! How dare you invade my personal space you jerk!" Joey snarled, clenching the folder in anger._

 _"I do background checks on everyone who spends time with my brother, why should you be any different? Now quit your yapping before I get the muzzle out." Kaiba hissed, still not taking his eyes off of the computer screen. The room grew quiet, with only the sounds of Kaiba tapping the keyboard filling it._

 _"What do you want from me Kaiba?" Joey finally asked, not wanted to waste his whole day in here staring at the brunet. Kaiba finally stopped, looking up to study Joey, who couldn't help but flinch at how different the CEO looked. He looked like he had aged 2 decades overnight, and was nothing but a sad and vulnerable shell of his former self._

 _"I wanted to make a proposal to you." Kaiba said, turning around to grab a piece of paper off of his printer. "Even with me making my feeling's clear, Mokuba still trusts you and thinks of you as a friend. After I patched you up that time, I had my attorney's do a little digging into your past. Looks like someone's been a little too physical with their dog."_

 _Joey growled a little at the statement, shutting his mouth when he noticed the amused look Kaiba was giving him. "As I was saying, I have more than enough here to open a case file on you, maybe turn it over to the police for an investigation…" Joey shook his head violently, begging Kaiba silently not to do it. Yes, a lot of his injuries were from his father, but just as many were from his days in a gang, and while he had left that life behind when he started hanging out with Yugi, there were still a few police officers that he had ticked off that would relish the chance to bring him down._

 _"That's what I thought. I spent some time thinking, and I believe I have come up with a suggestion that could help both of us." He handed Joey the paper, allowing the blond to scan it quickly._

 _"You're offering me a job to spend time with Mokuba? You don't have to pay me to see him you know, he's my friend."_

 _"I realize that Wheeler, but I also realize the situation your father has put you in. So here is my proposal. Spend 2 nights a week here when I have my late meetings, and I will pay your school fees and give you some spending money. I'll also get your father's debt collectors off your back so you won't have to worry about them either." Joey blinked in surprise at Kaiba, not sure what to say._

 _"I usually have my meetings on Tuesdays and Fridays, and it would be a help to me not to have to rush home to make sure I'm here when Mokuba is going to bed. I already talked to him, and he is ok with this arrangement. He'd rather have you around than a body guard apparently." Joey smiled to himself, reading the paper over again._

 _"Can I have a couple of days to think about this Kaiba? I mean, I appreciate the offer, but I don't know if I want to work for you." Kaiba nodded once, turning back to his computer and starting his typing again._

 _"You can have until Monday at school. I need to know so I can reschedule my meeting if needed. Mokuba should be up by now, you can meet him in the dining room." Joey nodded, clutching the paper to him and getting up silently. He hesitated at the door, turning slightly to address the CEO._

 _"Hey Kaiba, I appreciate the vote of confidence. I know how much Mokuba means to you."_

 _"Just don't screw up Wheeler." Kaiba replied icily, not even bothering to look up as Joey walked out of the room._

 _X_

 _"So, you're really staying over at Kaiba's? Are you sure that this is not so scheme so he can get rid of you and no one will be able to find the body?" Tristan asked, eyeing Joey at lunch on Tuesday._

 _The blond had kept his discussion with Kaiba a secret over the weekend, only discussing it with Yugi's Grandpa. Solomon expressed some concerns, giving Joey a couple of suggests about things to go over with Kaiba before agreeing to anything._

 _Joey discussed them with Kaiba, and they came up with a 2 week trial period, after which they would re-evaluate the situation. Going back to the Moto's, he quietly packed a bag, hiding it in the closet until he could tell his friends of his decision._

 _Dropping the bomb on the way to school had caused an uproar, his friends all responding in various moods of surprise. It continued throughout morning classes, and clearly it was going to continue throughout lunch as well._

 _"Yes, I am. He asked me for help, and we all promised that we would try to help Mokuba. It's all of our fault what happened to him, and I am trying to do my part to fix it." Joey responding, taking a half-hearted swing at his buddy. Tristan ducked, wrapping his arm around Joey's neck and giving him a noogie._

 _Yugi waited for the two to settle down before airing his final thought on the subject. "We could always switch out. You don't have to take on this burden all by yourself." He suggested, looking over at his best friend._

 _"I know Yugi. But he's offering me a chance to get out of the hole my father so graciously put me in, and I got to take the chance. It's only two weeks, how hard could it be?'_

 _X_

 _There was a soft knock at the door, and Joey looked up, calling out 'come in' to whoever was there. The door opened, and Kaiba stepped in, frowning slightly as he glanced around the room. Joey waved him in, gesturing towards a chair towards the side of the room._

 _"Your meeting run long?" Kaiba nodded, ignored the chair to sit down on Joey's bed. The blond eyed him, not sure what to say to him. After they did some tweaking to Joey's contract, the two older boys had settled into an uneasy truce._

 _On the nights that Joey was there, in order to avoid fighting, Kaiba would usually came home around the time Mokuba went to bed, barely speaking to either of them as he trudged to his home office. However, tonight he was even later than usual, the clock almost at midnight._

 _"Mokuba had a little trouble going to sleep tonight. He fell asleep on the couch after dinner, and when he woke up he told me Pegasus was waiting outside in the garden for him. I had one of the guards walk through it just to show him, but he was still a little shook up." Joey reported, biting his bottom lip as he worked on his math problem._

 _Kaiba nodded at the information, his eyes darting around the room._

 _"Everything ok?" Joey asked, concerned. He had never seen Kaiba act so… unsure of himself. The brunet was wringing his hands, and his gaze never focused on Joey._

 _"Hey, you look pretty tired Kaiba. Why don't you go get some sleep? I'm just finishing up this homework, then I'm going to crash." Still no answer, and Joey frowned. Throwing caution to the wind, he got up and walked over the bed, sitting down next to Kaiba._

 _"Earth to Kaiba? Anybody in there Rich boy?" Still nothing._

 _"Can you ask the maid to pick up some dog shampoo? I think I got some fleas." He said, reaching up to fake scratch his blond hair. Still no answer, and now Joey was getting worried. His mind scrambling, he finally pulled out his secret weapon._

 _"You want to come to the Game Shop with us tomorrow? Yami will be there, he said he's been waiting to duel you." Nothing. Joey placed his hand on Kaiba's shoulder, shaking him lightly. Finally, Kaiba looked at him, and Joey froze at the vacant look in the brunet's blue eyes._

 _"Did something happen at work Kaiba?" Still no response, so Joey shook Kaiba's shoulder again, jerking back in surprise when Kaiba responded by placing his hand firmly on Joey's thigh. The blond froze as the hand slid under his shorts, not knowing what was going on._

 _Kaiba's finger's grazed over the still-healing scar on his thigh and the brunet frowned, withdrawing his hand and standing up abruptly._

 _Shrugging off his Battle City Duster, he dumped it on the floor, followed by his shirt and tie. Turning his back to Joey, the blond finally understood what was going through Kaiba's mind- the brunet's back had several scars on it, as well as old burn marks that had faded to a dull red as they healed._

 _Joey reached out, carefully tracing one of the scars, feeling Kaiba tense at his touch for a moment before relaxing. The brunet had always been an immovable object in their lives-someone who would face the doors of hell before admitting any weakness to anyone._

 _Now, he was revealing a secret to Joey, one that the gang had all speculated on before but never had any proof of, and the blond didn't know what to make of it. He took in the tired face before taking a deep breath to calm himself._

 _"Did you eat yet Kaiba? I'll warm up some leftovers from dinner if you'd like?" Kaiba nodded once again, reaching down to pick up his shirt and put it on._

 _"Why don't you go take a shower and relax for a few minutes? I'll meet you downstairs and we can talk if you'd like." Still no answer, and Kaiba walked out of the room as if he was in a trance._

 _X_

 _The next morning, Kaiba acted like nothing had happened between them, leaving Joey not knowing what to do. He returned to Yugi's, quiet and withdrawn, causing all three of the Moto's to voice their concerns._

 _Joey spent most of the day assuring them everything was fine, also trying to comfort Mokuba, who had called Saturday afternoon, concerned that his brother had been moping around the mansion after Joey had left, wondering if they had gotten into a fight._

 _The final straw had been when Roland had showed up after dinner on Sunday, pulling Joey aside to whisper in his ear a rumor he had heard from Kaiba Corp- Kaiba had messed up a game big time, screwing up the coding to the point where they might have to scrape the entire project. Roland asked him to come back to the mansion with him, concerned over his boss._

 _Joey hadn't hesitated- running back inside to grab his school stuff and promising Yugi that he would be there to walk to school in the morning with him. Roland escorted him back to the mansion, dropping Joey off at the front door while he went around to park, leaving the blond to enter the house himself_

 _X_

 _"Joey!" Mokuba yelled, running down the hall towards his friend._

 _"Hey kiddo, did you miss me?" Joey asked, ruffling the raven colored hair._

 _Mokuba responded with a hug, pulling Joey down to whisper in his ear "Seto let me have pizza and fast food this weekend, and now we are about to make ice cream sundaes."_

 _Joey's eyes widened, knowing Kaiba's absolute refusal to let his brother eat unhealthy. "What contest did you win?" He whispered, causing the younger boy to smile._

 _"He's been distracted all weekend, I'm worried about him." Mokuba whispered back, his smile slipping away._

 _"I'm sure he's fine Mokuba. How about we eat some ice cream?!" Mokuba smiled again, turning towards the kitchen with the blond in tow. Kaiba was putting together his own sundae, barely acknowledging his guest._

 _"Hey Kaiba." Joey said, looking over at the brunet with a wary smile. Kaiba ignored him, sitting down on a stool at the island and staring at his food. The other two got their own sundaes, sitting down next to Kaiba and chattering on about school, trying to draw out the quiet brunet. It didn't work, the only words he said was telling Mokuba to shower and get ready for bed before disappearing._

 _"Well, I guess that didn't work very well." Mokuba said, looking at Joey sadly._

 _"Hey kiddo, if there is one thing I know about your brother, is you can't force him to do anything he doesn't want to." Joey said, sighing before placing his chin on his hand in thought. Mokuba stood up, leaning his head against Joey and sighing._

 _"I don't know why you guys put up with us after everything that we've done to you." He whispered into Joey's shoulder, and the blond smiled._

 _"You can thank Yugi for that one, he taught me about forgiveness a long time ago. Turns out it can be pretty powerful when used correctly."_

 _"Well, however it happened I'm glad. I still can't get over the fact that you and Seto have gone from fighting all the time to him letting you move in with us." Joey looked at Mokuba strangely, not understanding what he meant._

 _"I'm only here two nights a week Mokuba, and that's because of you, not him." "I know, I just… meant that it feels like you, um, are a, um…" Mokuba stammered, trying to back pedal from wherever he was going._

 _Joey stopped him from backing away, looking at the younger Kaiba with a raised eyebrow. "What are you talking about Mokuba?" He asked, the look on his face copying Kaiba almost to a T._

 _Mokuba winced internally, knowing his brother was going to be very upset with him if he found out his little brother had blabbed family secrets. "After the pool party, Seto went to a lawyer to see about you being emancipated from your father. He asked me if I would be ok with you living with us and I said yes. Apparently you ended up moving into the Moto's before he was able to get the paperwork finished, so instead he had the lawyer visit your dad so he would leave you alone." Mokuba admitted nervously, knowing that Joey would not appreciate what he was saying._

 _"That explains a lot." Joey mumbled under his breath, patting Mokuba on the arm. "You should get ready for bed Mokuba, it's a school night."_

 _"Are you stay here tonight Joey? I sleep better when you and big brother are both here." Mokuba asked, silently begging the blond, who nodded, pointing towards his backpack before pointing at the stairs._

 _Joey finished up his own shower, wrapping a towel around his waist before emerging from the bathroom and rummaging around in the drawers. Kaiba had insisted on buying him some new clothes-not wanting fleas in get in the house was his excuse- but_

 _Joey had only put up a small fight. He was in desperate need of a new wardrobe after his last growth spurt, and alternating the same two boxers and undershirts was starting to wear holes in them._

 _He quickly got dressed, then finished towel drying his hair. Glancing at the clock, he noticed it was almost 10, and sighed as he realized he'd better go to bed since school was in the morning. Shutting off the light, he closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome him._

 _He had almost made it when he heard a light tapping on his door, following by it creaking opening. Joey pulled back the covers without opening his eyes, figuring that he could drift back off when Mokuba got settled, only to snap them open in surprised when he realized the body curling up next to him was, in fact, the older Kaiba brother._

 _"Kaiba?" He whispered, only to have the brunet pull up tighter to him, placing his head on Joey's chest and breathing deeply. Kaiba's hair was by his nose, and Joey could smell cinnamon. He gently began to stroke the chestnut locks, feeling Kaiba unwinding next to him as they both drifted off to sleep._

 _X_

 _Joey spent most of the next two days at school defending himself against his friend's teasing about Kaiba. Tea was the quietest, having figured out a long time ago that Joey was attracted to Kaiba but promising not to tell, so she pulled Joey aside to remind him about not letting Kaiba take advantage of him._

 _Tristan on the other hand got right into his face, demanding to know why he was letting both of the Kaiba's treat him like a personal servant, and if Kaiba was dragging him away from Yugi's for some kind of booty call._

 _Yugi and Yami expressed their concerns also, while Ryou attempted to show him some support._

 _Bakura just played with his knife that he had smuggled into school while Duke tried to hold Tristan back before he went too far in his yelling._

 _Finally Joey got sick of it, telling everyone where they could shove it, while quietly reassuring Tea that he was being careful._

 _Tuesday after school he went and picked up Mokuba, taking the young boy out for dinner for a change of pace. That night he was once again woken up by Kaiba slipping into his bed._

 _The brunet was still asleep when Joey awoke the next morning, and Joey managed to get ready for school without waking him._

 _Friday night, Kaiba walked into the room while Joey was doing his homework, lying down on the bed without a word, waiting for him. Joey attempted to engage him in conversation, but failed miserably._

 _Finishing up his English, he turned off the light, crawling into bed cautiously while Kaiba wrapped around him, clinging to him as if he was a life jacket._

 _X_

 _The next few weeks went by in a blur- Kaiba stopped coming into Joey's room after that night, choosing instead to block himself off completely from the blond._

 _Mokuba started to grow worse- If Kaiba wasn't home before Mokuba went to bed, Joey would end up sleeping on the younger boy's floor so he could keep an eye on him. He started staying over on Wednesdays, wanting to take care of the spiraling brothers._

 _Yugi and Yami would beg him to come home with them, but Joey couldn't help it- seeing Kaiba so vulnerable had changed their relationship, even if the brunet wouldn't admit it._

 _X_

 _Finally, it was mid-term break, and Joey could barely contain his excitement. A whole week off of school, plus a half day the Friday before. The gang had spent their first afternoon of freedom in the arcade, playing around for several hours before Joey pulled Mokuba aside and reminded him of his session._

 _They said a quick good-bye and left, Joey promising him pizza afterwards. They finally made it back to the mansion, Joey pulling up behind Kaiba's car in surprise._

 _"What time is it?"_

 _"Barely 5, I wonder why big brother is home already." Mokuba asked in concern, looking towards the door in surprise. He had been very quiet after his session, and Joey was trying his best not to pry._

 _"Well, I guess we should go inside and see what's going on then." Joey said, escorting his charge to the door. They both stopped, looking at each other as the faint sounds of music reached their ears._

 _"Is that… Britney Spears?" Joey whispered, blinking in confusion. Mokuba gently pushed the door open, poking his head in to see what was going on. Not seeing anything, he took a careful step inside, motioning for Joey to follow. They tip toed in, following the sound of the music._

 _"It sounds like it's coming from the game room." Mokuba whispered, stopping outside the room and pointing at the door. He peeked inside, shutting the door quickly when he realized what he was seeing._

 _"Is everything ok Mokuba?" Joey asked, concerned. Mokuba said nothing, opening the door wide for Joey to see. There was Kaiba, his back to them, dancing to the music. No pants on, white socks, and his work shirt, in almost perfect imitation of Tom Cruise's Risky Business scene. Joey back away from the door in shock, and Mokuba shut it, not knowing what to do._

 _"He's been like that since he got home." Roland informed them, appeared from seemingly nowhere._

 _"I don't think I've ever seen big brother act like that before."_

 _"Yes well, he got some good news, so he decided to celebrate." Roland informed them, arching an eyebrow. "He said for me to have you both join him once you got home."_

 _Joey and Mokuba blanched, both looking at the door in horror. "Just be glad I convinced him to leave his boxers on." Roland told them, opening up the door and pushing both of them inside quickly._

 _Kaiba turned around as they walked in, grinning as he grabbed Mokuba and started dancing around with him. Even though he was concerned, Mokuba couldn't help but smile back at his brother. There had been very few times he had seen Seto like this, and it was always a welcomed change of pace. Finally the song ended, and Kaiba paused the music, wiping the sweat off his brow._

 _"So, what's with the party big brother? Roland said you got some good news?"_

 _"Let's just say your brother took a gamble and sealed a very important business deal that is going to keep us financially secure for a long time." Kaiba replied, wrapping his arms around his brother and giving him a hug._

 _"That's great Seto! We should celebrate! Joey and I were going to go get pizza, but we can do something else." Kaiba nodded, humming to himself._

 _"How about we go out to La Casa Margherita? You two can get pizza and I can order some real food."_

 _"Really Seto?" Mokuba asked, giving his brother a hug before running out of the room in excitement. Joey watched him go before looking at the brunet in concern._

 _"Are you ok Kaiba?" He whispered, eyeing the pant-less CEO._

 _"I'm fine Wheeler. I don't pay you to worry about me. Now go change, we leave in 15 minutes." Joey nodded, watching as Kaiba disappeared._

 _X_

 _Joey walked in after the Kaiba brothers, emotionally exhausted. Kaiba had been crazy the whole night- joking around with both of them, making plans for what to do for the rest of their vacation, which included insisting that Joey invite all of his friends over the next day for a party._

 _Both younger boys were surprised, but they jumped on the opportunity, quickly splitting their list in half. A few phone calls later, and everyone was surprisingly on board._

 _"Alright Mokuba, it's time for you to get ready for bed."_

 _"Aw Seto…" Mokuba complained good-naturally, but he was already turning towards the stairs._

 _"Good night big brother, night Joey." Joey waved at him, watching as he disappeared up the stairs._

 _"Care to join me for a game of Duel Monsters?" Kaiba whispered in his ear, causing Joey to nearly jump out of his skin._

 _"Are you challenging me to a game Kaiba?" He asked, blinking in surprise, his brain scrambling to remember if this had ever happened before._

 _"I thought I'd give you some pointers on how to use that deck of yours better, that's all." Kaiba responded, raising a brow._

 _"Ok… I mean if you really want to... I just need to go get my deck out of my room."_

 _"I need to take a shower myself, why don't you go ahead and change and come to my room in about 15 minutes?"_

 _"Ok…" Joey let the word trail off as Kaiba turned and walked up the stairs._

 _X_

 _Joey stood outside Kaiba's door, debating whether or not to just turn around and go to bed. There was something… upsetting about Kaiba, and it wasn't just the feel good attitude he had had all night. The glint in those blue eyes when Mokuba wasn't looking was just… strange. Like he was planning something, waiting for the moment to strike._

 _However, he had been very polite to Joey the whole evening, so the blond decided to through caution to the wind and give him a chance. Knocking quietly, the door was flung open, Kaiba standing in front of him with his trademark smirk._

 _"I was beginning to think that you were going to chicken out Wheeler." Joey rolled his eyes, trying to hide his nervousness._

 _"Yea, like I'd miss out on the chance to whoop your ass Rich Boy." Kaiba chuckled at that, moving aside to let him in._

 _"I thought we'd have a good old fashion board duel, just like how the game was originally played." Kaiba said, gesturing with his hand towards the floor._

 _"Wow, I didn't know you even owned one of those Kaiba. Weren't you the one who said that Duel Monsters wasn't worth playing if you didn't have holograms?" Joey joked, smiling._

 _"Let's just say I've reevaluated my stance on that, and realized that it was silly not to enjoy something low key every once in a while." Kaiba watched him for a minute, before sitting down on the floor next to the board and gesturing for Joey to take the other side._

 _They dueled, Kaiba only squeaking out with the victory due to a bad coin toss on Joey's end. "You should really update your deck a little. Maybe with a little polish, you'd be worthy of your position as the 3rd best duelist in the world."_

 _Kaiba said off-handily, something in his voice stating he was teasing. Joey responded to the light tone with a smile. "Yea, maybe I'll take a couple of paychecks and invest in some more cards… you got any suggests? Yugi keeps telling me to 'believe in the heart of the cards' and 'the heart of the cards will guide me, but it doesn't hurt to get some tips, y'know?"_

 _Kaiba smirked again, ignoring the question as he got up from off the floor. Walking around to the other side of his bed, he fiddled around for a minute before coming back with a bottle and two champagne flutes._

 _"What are you doing Kaiba?" Joey asked, watching as the brunet popped the cork and poured some liquid into one glass, handing it to a surprised Joey before pouring a second._

 _"I thought we would have a little toast is all." He replied before looking at Joey's face. "Relax pup, I don't drink alcohol. Its sparkling Raspberry Lemonade, I use it to toast all my big business deals." He held out his hand, helping Joey get up off the floor._

 _"To brand new pursuits, may they lead us down exciting new pathways." Kaiba said, tipping his glass towards Joey's and clinking them._

 _"That's pretty tasty." Joey commented after drinking, licking his lips. Kaiba offered him more, and Joey accepted, sipping it carefully._

 _"Do you usually do this with Mokuba?"_

 _"No actually, I'm usually by myself during this ritual. Mokuba's a little too young for it." They both drank in silence for a minute, before Kaiba finally sighed and put his glass down on the dresser._

 _"It's getting late, we should probably turn in so we can get things ready before your friends come tomorrow."_

 _"Yea you're probably right." Joey said, handing his glass to Kaiba before yawning. Kaiba grabbed his hand, pulling him close and kissing him gently before pulling Joey onto his bed._

 _X_

 _The next morning Joey woke up, wincing at the numb feeling in his left arm. Sitting up gently, he looked down at the comforter in surprise, remembering with a start that he was in sprawled out still on Kaiba's bed.._

 _Joey didn't know whether to bolt for his room, or stay and just act normal. Nothing had really happened last night- after the kiss, Joey had gently pushed Kaiba away, and Kaiba had responded by getting up and turning off the lights, laying back down next to Joey and wrapping around him, laying his head on Joey's chest before sighing and closing his eyes._

 _Joey rotated his shoulder one more time, wincing as the tingling got stronger. The soft sounds of giggling met his ears, and he turned around to see Mokuba, covered in pillows and covering his mouth with his hand as he attempted to hold back his laughter._

 _"How long have you been there?" Joey asked, sighing._

 _"Long enough to see you get a good morning kiss from my brother." Mokuba giggled some more, his face turning red. He crawled out from behind the pillows, plopping down on his stomach and placing his chin on his hands, kicking his feet in the air and grinning widely._

 _"Nothing happened Mokuba." Joey told him sternly, flexing his fingers as blood flowed back into him._

 _"I'm sure, that's why I found the two of you wrapped up in each other this morning, because nothing happened." Joey ignored the comment, getting off the bed and stretching. Mokuba pouted for a moment before getting off the bed himself, looking the blond up and down before impulsively hugging him. Joey wrapped an arm around the younger Kaiba, smiling softly at him._

 _"I'm not sure what is going on with my brother, but please don't let him scare you away. I feel so much safe with you around."_

 _"Hey, it takes a lot more than some misplaced kisses to scare off jumping Joey Wheeler, don't you worry about that. How about we go make some breakfast, then get ready for everyone?" Mokuba agreed, breaking away and challenging Joey to a race. They both took off, running down the stairs and into the kitchen, Mokuba winning when Joey 'accidently' took an elbow to the ribs. He skidded to a stop though, when he saw the kitchen._

 _The place was immaculate, looking like a showroom in an elegant magazine. Not that the kitchen didn't usually look great, but this was different somehow. The curtains had been changed, and so had some of the pictures on the wall. Joey was silent as he walked in the room, looking around curiously himself._

 _"Did you hire a decorator and not tell me Mokuba?" He asked, looking around in surprise._

 _"Not that I know of, none of this stuff was up when I left yesterday, so I must have been Seto." He glanced out on the patio, blinking in surprise._

 _"Where did all of that furniture come from? That wasn't here either." The two boys walked out towards the pool, looking around and finally spotting Kaiba, who was on his knees fiddling with a chair._

 _"Well, look who woke up. Good morning you two." Kaiba said, not pausing what he was doing._

 _"Seto, where did all of this come from?" Mokuba asked, touching the table with a fire pit in the middle._

 _"I bought it on Wednesday, they delivered it last night but weren't able to get everything done, so I finished up after we got home." Joey and Mokuba looked at each before kneeling down on either side of the brunet._

 _"Hey Seto, can we help you with something?"_

 _"Yea Kaiba, why don't you take a break, you look exhausted." Joey said, taking the wrench out of Kaiba's hands._

 _"Mokuba, how about you go get something for your brother to drink." Joey suggested, trying to sound casual. The raven-haired boy took off, glad to be given something to do. Joey meanwhile, eased Kaiba into a chair, smiling gently at him._

 _"I'm just trying to do something for my brother." Kaiba mumbled, leaning back._

 _"Well, how about you sit here and talk to him about school while I make us some breakfast? I bet that he would really like that." Kaiba nodded in response, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes, falling asleep before Mokuba even returned._

 _Joey left them alone, walking back into the kitchen to fix breakfast for them. He came back out a bit later to see Mokuba staring worriedly over at his brother. "Is he still dozed off Mokuba?"_

 _"Yea, he's been out since you went inside." He replied, thanking Joey quietly for his food._

 _"Well how about we go ahead and eat, and he can catch up when he wakes?" Mokuba nodded, digging into his pancakes. Joey chattered away, trying to distract the younger boy from whatever his worries were._

 _X_

 _After the party, Joey was upstairs getting his stuff together to leave. Kaiba and Mokuba were going on a short trip since school was out, so Joey wanted to make sure he had everything he needed to stay at the Moto's for vacation._

 _"Are you sure you don't want to come on vacation with us instead?" Kaiba asked, breaking the silence and causing Joey to jump._

 _"I didn't realize that was an option… don't you want to spend time with your brother?" Joey asked, taking a step away from the taller duelist._

 _"Right now I'd rather spend some time with you." Kaiba whispered, grabbing Joey and pulling him close. Joey managed to get away, shaking his head._

 _"Kaiba, I don't know what's up with you, but you and I barely get along. I don't understand why you're acting like this." Kaiba didn't answer, running a finger through his hair._

 _"Is this why you wanted me taking care of Mokuba? So you can get me to stay over your house and be available when you need some sort of fix?"_

 _"Battle City." Kaiba mumbled, causing Joey to look at him. "When you were fighting against Marik, and you didn't back down, even when he attacked you with Ra. You died because of that, Mokuba jumped up on the arena, realized that you weren't breathing. All I could think of was you dying as a true duelist, sacrificing your life for the game. I was jealous of you, wishing that it was me that was doing that, giving up everything to win."_

 _"You're an idiot then, I did that to save someone I cared about, not to die as a true duelist." Kaiba nodded, continuing._

 _"I've seen how you're sacrificed yourself for your friends without worrying about the consequences. Then you were willing to do that same thing for my brother, and I realized that maybe you didn't deserve the way I treated you. I just didn't know how to change." Joey blinked up at the brunet, feeling Kaiba's long fingers comb through his blond hair, and all of the sudden all he wanted to do was lean his head against Kaiba's chest and close his eyes. Instead, he pulled back, forcing Kaiba to let him go._

 _"We can discuss this when you come back." Joey said, grabbing his gym bag and fleeing the room, brushing off his friends comments in his rush to get out the door._

X

Dr. Green sat and listened as Joey rambled on about before he was dating Kaiba, finally stopping the boy when he started crying. "It's ok Joseph, you can take a breath. I know how difficult this must be for you."

"I should have realized that he was in trouble, because he wasn't acting like himself. Maybe then things wouldn't have gotten so bad between us." Joey mumbled, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You are a teenager Joey. You are not trained to recognize the traits of someone who is suffering with bi-polar disorder. Even if you were, there's no way that Kaiba would have admitted to you or anyone else that he needed help." Dr. Green reassured him, handing over the tissue box. Silence filled the room, Joey only taking a few sniffles every now and then.

"I know that, but I still worry about him." Joey admitted slowly, taking a few deep breaths to calm himself.

"Thank you for coming in Joey. I hope that you've made arrangements to go to that support group for children of abuse. I think you will benefit greatly from it." Joey nodded, getting up slowly and stretching.

"One last thing. I know things between you two ended badly, but don't let that diminish what you two had together. Don't doubt that it was real, just realize it wasn't right." Joey smiled sadly at the doctors words, throwing away his tissues as he walked out of the door, following Mai quietly out the door. 


End file.
